


My Appa and Baba are the best!

by IWishIWasAwesome



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Adopted Children, Alternate Universe - Children, Bullying, Fluff and Angst, Parent!AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-05-07 13:20:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 41,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14671917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IWishIWasAwesome/pseuds/IWishIWasAwesome
Summary: A lot goes on in the Wu-Kim household, especially when there's 10 children and enough stuffed animals to take over the world.Maybe Yixing would do that at some point...





	1. Introduction

Neither Kris or Junmyeon understand why they decided to take in ten children, but it was the best decision they ever made.

Their first children were twins, Minseok and Luhan. Both boys were nine years old. Both loved football and always played. These two were the only ones in school, as throughout their childhood they had been through so much that Kris and Junmyeon couldn’t bring themselves to let their other children through it.

Their next child was their little Yixing. He was seven years old and unfortunately diagnosed with Autism a few months after they adopted him. It wasn’t severe, but he acted a lot younger than seven at sometimes. He struggles with talking and learning vocabulary. He loved to draw and colour like someone much younger than him, but all his brother absolutely loved him.

Little Six-year-old Baekhyun was also the same, diagnosed with autism a few days before Christmas, and thankfully they had chosen the perfect gifts for him. Him and Yixing spent all their time together.

Jongdae is also six years old, and the funniest person and loudest person they all knew. He loved cuddling with his brothers and running around or climbing trees. He had an obsession with dinosaurs and carried Dino around with him all the time, his favourite stuffed dinosaur.

Chanyeol is five years old and is probably their most troublesome. He follows Baekhyun around and they always run around outside. He loved reading to his parents, or at least trying and loved attempting to help the youngers read too.

Kyungsoo was four, and was very, very quiet. His past was a bit worse than theothers, as he had been abused back in the orphanage. When Junmyeon saw him, he immediately signed the papers and took him home. He struggled with loud noises and always loved cooking with Junmyeon.

Tao was their baby three-year-old. Like Yixing, he was Chinese, and so was Luhan and Minseok, but they only had half Chinese blood. Yifan loved helping him learn Chinese, and Tao was a quick learner. He was also learning Wushu, and Yifan also loves watching him.

Two-year-old Kai or Jongin was a beauty, and all his brother adored him, and so did the many old ladies in the local café. They learnt that he loved music and chicken and ate that almost every single night.

Their youngest baby, Sehun, was the cutest, and Luhan and Minseok swore to protect him with their lives and acting like guards when they first met him. The baby one-year old babbles to himself endlessly and loves a good tickle.

The boys all called Junmyeon their Appa, and Kris was Baba. None of them exactly knew why, but it was cute when Kai or Sehun attempted and failed to say their names. Yixing and Baekhyun had so much difficulty saying Junmyeon name, that he almost knew them calling him Appa was easier for them and went with it.

They grew up together, and loved each other, all twelve of them.

So here is some of the stories or mischief, sadness, and good old’ football games.


	2. Baekhyun's story

It must be gone midnight when Junmyeon and Kris wakes up to an ear-splitting scream. They wait to hear crying from one of their nine children, but nothing arrives. The both begin to panic as the house falls silent again. They do think twice before moving because none of their children could yell that loud, could they?

“You take the younger.” Kris says, before running the opposite way down the hallway to Junmyeon, passing the top of the stairs. Junmyeon enters the first room he comes across, the panic making him forget who’s in which room, to find Sehun and Jongin, their two youngest, both fast asleep in their cots. The mobiles above them are still playing the soft music that lulls them to sleep, and both boys are hugging their stuffed animals. He dips his hand down to swipe away some of Jongin’s stray brown hair and smiling happily. He sighs in relief, although he hadn’t checked all of his children yet. He leaves the room quietly, and then runs to find the next room, passing one bathroom and a small library in the darkness. Junmyeon finds the last bedroom on this end of the hallway.

When he opens the door, he finds Kyungsoo, who’s four, and Chanyeol, who’s five, rocking a small three-year-old Tao back and forth in their arms who had clearly woken them up, as his bed was messy.

“Appa?” Chanyeol whispers, and the other two children look up. Junmyeon walks over and lowers himself onto the bed and letting the three climb onto his lap. It’s clear that Chanyeol’s been crying, by the dried tear tracks down his small cheeks. Junmyeon reaches up to wipe them away slowly.

“We heard something outside. Appa, It was outside!” Chanyeol whispers, pointing to the curtain covered window, whilst Junmyeon lifts Tao properly into his arms, and rocking him in attempt to get him back to sleep. Tao’s nature is quite emotional, and he’s scared of literally everything, so Junmyeon wasn’t surprised to see him awake.

“Come with me, Baba should be back in our bedroom now, and I’ll get the babies.”

“Can I help?” Kyungsoo whispers, who had grown incredibly close to the two-year-old Jongin after they’d adopted him.

“As long as you’re careful.” Their Appa replies as they walk back to where Junmyeon started, only to find Luhan, Minseok, Yixing and Jongdae, who explained where Baba had gone.

 

Kris sprints to the furthest bedroom, a little scared, finding a 10-year old Minseok and a 9-year old Luhan wide awake, both standing at the window and staring out. Their whispering something about the woods.

“Luhan, Minseok.”

The two flinch violently before crying out for their Baba, and running towards Kris. The elder knelt down and lets his two eldest children cling to his neck whilst sniffling. They both get scared easily, like Tao. In fact, all his children get scared.

“Someone yelled outside Baba.”

“Okay Baby, let’s get Jongdae and Yixing and go to my room.”

“No! We’ll get them, you go look outside! What if it’s a child?” Minseok said, before pulling his slightly younger brother towards where Yixing and Jongdae were sleeping, before Baba could answer.

Kris lets his eldest children go and collected their brothers whilst walking downstairs and finding his shoes in the darkness. He barely gets them on before he hears another scream, much louder this time, echo around, and he can now hear crying from upstairs that sounded like Jongdae. With his phone’s awful flashlight, he searched the searched the woofs. They lived on the outskirts of town, and have a large range of space to play football and any type of ball game. They spent most of their summers outside.

His flashlight throws the trees and grass into focus, and he hopes whoever screams will come towards the light, He walks deeper into the forest, almost tripped a few times, before beginning to give up.

Suddenly, there’s a rustle from beside him accompanied by a sniffle, and Kris looks to his side, to find something he never wanted to see in his entire life as a parent.

A little boy, who’s clothes are torn in multiple places and shoes that are worn down enough to shoe his little toes, is covered in blood and shaking with either fear or the wintry weather. Kris softens his gaze immediately and kneels to around the same height, despite how Kris is a skyscraper compared to the tiny boy. He doesn’t run away like Kris expects. The boy can be no older than Jongdae and must be younger than Kyungsoo. He reminds Kris of Luhan a little bit, with his small eyes and cute button nose.

“Hello. My name is Kris, are you alright?” Kris speaks slowly and calmly, hoping the child was Korean, as they did have three Chinese kids that took a while to understand Korean, and could understand Kris, making sure not to frighten the child, who’s still crying softly.

“They all hurt… They all gone…” The child whispers, looking at his tiny calloused hands as if to say its his fault, and Kris feels his heart break. He opens his large arms, and the small child hesitates, before running into the embrace,

“I’m here. It’s going to be okay.” There’s a tag attached to boys back belt hook, and Kris read it slowly.

_Busan Orphanage – Name B----------_

_Age 6_

The name was scratched out, and Kris makes a mental note to ask later, but also on the tag reads another name

_Carer Kim Moongi._

Kris can only feel skin and bone, no fat or anything on his child, which explains why he was shivering, His t-shirt is quickly dampened by tears and stained with blood before he can even leave the forest, He can’t bring himself to run, so Kris takes this time to ring Junmyeon and tell him. More like instruct him in the way that he can help.

 _“WU YIFAN Where on earth are you?”_ His husband yells.

“Get a warm bath ready and some of Jongdae’s pyjamas. The starry ones. And a first aid kit. Make sure Luhan and Minseok can take care of the children as I need you right now.”

 _“Oh god, okay. Is it a child?”_ Kris can hear Minseok in the background telling his Appa to go run the bath and that they can take care of the youngers.

“Yes. No older than Jongdae I swear.”

The phone call ends and Kris brings his other hand to hold the child. He forces himself to ignore how blood is trickling down his palm. He moves his head slightly to see a tuft of maroon hair.

“Am I bad?” The little boy sobs.

“No… Of course not. We’re going to clean you okay? I promise it won’t hurt.”

 

Junmyeon almost gags at the sight of the child in Kris’ arms when his husband walks into the bathroom. The child is covered in blood to the point neither of them can see his cuts, They use a pair of scissors to cut the shirt and shorts he’s wearing, and Junmyeon also reads the tag, muffling a gasp. The orphanage that had… burned. When they lower him into the bath, now that they’ve peeled his destroyed clothes and he winces as the water stings, and instantly regret the idea. The water turns a horrible pink colour. The boy is still shaking when Junmyeon lifts him back out and holding him in a dark coloured towel whilst they drain the bath to use the shower instead.

They have some baby shampoo left in the bottle, and Kris uses his large, gentle hands to wash his hair whilst Junmyeon rinses away the blood.

Once the small child is washed and no longer shaking, they can see the horrible cuts and burns that cover his tiny body. Both Kris’ and Junmyeon’s eyes are filled with tears.

“What happened to you baby?” Junmyeon whispered as he pats down the child, making sure to keep him warm, saying ‘baby’ as if he were talking to one of his own.

“I ran away. Moongi stayed and got hurt. Moongi… Moongi not here.”

“Not here? What do you mean sweetheart?”

“Moongi didn’t move. Moongi stopped moving and blood.”

Junmyeon tears up worse and holds the child close to him, and the boy bursts into tears. His sobs are small, as his chest can’t produce the air to make them louder. The tag has said Moongi’s name as the childs carer at the orphanage. Kris takes this time to patch up the childs back, who tenses and tries not to scream into Junmyeon’s shoulder

“What’s your name sweetheart?”

“Byun… Ba… Baek… Byun baekhyun.”

“Byun Baekhyun? That’s a very pretty name.” Kris replies

“Really?! Moongi never liked my name.” Baekhyun asks, the first smile they had seen all night and it was beautiful.

“We like your name! How old are you?” Junmyeon asks, whilst pulling the new starry shirt over his head.

“Ummm… May 6th… I think…. I’m seven? Maybe six”

“Your tag says six baby.” Kris says, showing the child the tag, and Baekhyun smiles and nods.

“Wait…Baekhyun did you... come from the orphanage?” Kris whispers, and watched as Baekhyun nods. He already knew the answer, but thought no one survived as it was all over the news.

“There was a large fire. I was the only one who ran away.” Baekhyun said, a little more confident to talk, yet his eyes were looking off into space, “I don’t have a family.”

“Would you like to stay with us?” Junmyeon asks, and Baekhyun gasps, and looks ever so hopefully at them.

“Can I?”

“Of course. We have nine other children, also adopted. You are older than Jongdae. Wow…. You can stay with us tonight, and in the morning we can meet the others.”

“Thank you!” The little six-year old sobs, and hugs Junmyeon tighter. Kris decides he’s going to leave and take the children to bed. He’s just about to leave before he hears his husband singing gently to the child in his arms.

 

Kris enters his bedroom and almost gets knocked over by various children. Jongin and Sehun are asleep in Luhan and Minseok’s arms, whilst Tao is now clung onto Kris’ legs.

“Hey… We’ll talk in the morning okay? It’s a long story and we have someone you need to meet. But not it’s time to go back to bed okay? I’ll go room by room. Let me take Sehun and Jongin first.”

Minseok and Luhan help Kris gather the two babies into his arms, and he slowly carries them into their bedroom. He lowers Sehun down first, as he’s a lost lighter than Jongin and would be easier to lower into his cot. Once Jongin is also in his cot Kris pops a pacifier into both their boys too make sure they sleep thoroughly and leaves the room silently.

Tao, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo are next, Kris’ carrying the Chinese boy in his arms. Tao falls asleep before Kris’ can even say goodnight, and he moves to tuck Kyungsoo into bed.

“Baba. Will the boy be okay?” He asks, and Kris moves his face closer, both giving an eskimo kiss.

“Of course he will! You made it through.”

Chanyeol is also asleep before he can say goodnight, but Kris’s tucks the duvet around his body tighter and leaves again. Luhan and Minseok had already taken Yixing and Jongdae to bed, and the walked with Kris’ into their bedroom

. Their Baba sits in the space between the beds and holds each other their hands.

“Will he be okay? What’s his name?” Minseok asks.

“His name is Byun Baekhyun and he survived that fire in Busan Orphanage.”

Luhan and Minseok gasp, both saying they thought no one survived. Kris’s stays until they fall asleep once more, and finally leaves his children to sleep.

 

Junmyeon is fast asleep with Baekhyun on his chest when Kris’ walks in. The child is also asleep, his arm draped over Junmyeon’s shoulder, almost wrapped around his neck. Kris lies next to them, and tucks the duvet over them. Kris does move Baekhyun into the middle, just in case Junmyeon were to roll over in what’s left of the night. Kris manages to find a brand-new blanket in the drawer next to him, with a tiny plush puppy sewn onto the corner.

Baekhyun clings onto it like his life support, and sleeps thoroughly

 

When morning comes round, Junmyeon takes Baekhyun downstairs to meet the eldest first, and Baekhyun falls in love with them instantly. He points at Luhan and giggles.

“Your hair is pink!”

Luhan smiled brightly and steps forward, letting Baekhyun twirl a finger around the pink dyed strands. After that Minseok and Luhan introduces themselves. Baekhyun and Jongdae hit off instantly. And so does Chanyeol. Kyungsoo was a bit shy, but got over it when Baekhyun showed him the penguin on his pyjamas. Jongin and Sehun babble and attempt to say his name, failing and calling him ‘BB’. Tao reaches up for a hug from Baekhyun, the boy hesitant, but Tao makes it all better. Junmyeon asks them not to talk about the orphanage until he was a little older, so he was able to understand what had happened.

Kris noticed a few hours later that him and Yixing were talking to each other exactly like Yixing spoke to everyone, with barely any vocabulary at all, and decided to take him to the doctors. When they found out that he was Autistic too, they found it easier to understand a few more things about Baekhyun. When they took him out to pick some stuff for his room, he chose out all the fluffiest teddy bears and a few colourful jumpers. Kris smiled at let him get whatever he liked.

Yixing was happy when he found out that Baekhyun was like him, and they both got carried away with talking about Unicorns and dragons, and ended up asking for a pet one.

Yep, Baekhyun fit in with the Wu-Kim household.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any suggestions for situations between any of the members, please comment and I will try my best to write them!


	3. Bear and Puppy fight

A five year old Baekhyun can’t breathe properly. He knows that Jongin is going to tell Baba and Appa as soon as they get home. He didn’t mean to do it, and he had sobbed that to Jongin, but Jongin hit him with a weak little fist that still hurt and Baekhyun ran off into his bedroom to cry hystericly. He could always go down and tell Appa and Baba first, but he knew Jongin was going to get to him first. Jongin would always get to Baba faster than anyone else when he was hurt.

Baekhyun really hadn’t meant to tear Jongin’s favourite stuffed bear. It really was an accident. All Baekhyun wanted to do was move the bear to the miniature table so he could give it a fake cake, but Jongin wasn’t letting go, and the bear tore all down its back and stuffing fell to the floor. Before Baekhyun could even say sorry, Jongin hit him so hard that it brusied a dark purple in just seconds. Baekhyun was going to end up on the naughty step again. Last time it wasn’t even his fault, but Chanyeols!

His thoughts were broken as the front door opened, and he could hear the pitter patter of his younger brother feet, along with his other brothers and his fathers.

 _“Baekhyunnie broke my bear_!”

And that’s when Baekhyun’s five year old fragile heart breaks.

_“BAEKHYUN!”_

Baekhyun hears Kris’ yell, and bursts promptly into tears and struggles to breathe even more. Downstairs, Junmyeon can hear his baby boy crying and runs as fast as he can to find him, knowing that Baekhyun really struggled with things when upset. Junmyeon opens the door and finds Baekhyun collapsed against the floor and crying, his eyes swollen and chest heaving. Junmyeon crouches down and gathers the boy in his arms, and Baekhyun clings on like a life support. Baekhyun rarely got like this, and was already scared when people yelled, so that probably wasn’t the right thing to do, and the guilty look on Kris’ face before Junmyeon went upstairs simply said it all.

Back in the orphanage, before ti burnt down, Baekhyun once broke a toy and realised that was a bad thing when he ended up with a black eyes from on of his careers. This was the first time whilst he was with Kris and Junmyeon he’d broken something, and it simply terrified Baekhyun.

The moment he’s able to talk properly, Baekhyun pleading and crying that he didn’t mean to do anything and that he’s so so sorry.

“Baekhyun, calm down sweetheart.” Junmyeon coos.

“Appa…” Baekhyun sobs.

“Baekhyun, do you need a rest? A nap?”

“Yes please.”

Junmyeon smiles and picks up his five year old, and walks to his and Kris’ bedroom, where he lays down with the toddler in his arms. Baekhyun falls asleep very quickly, and Junmyeon quickly texts Kris.

**To Kris**

_Baekhyun was in hysterics. I really think it was an accident. He’s asleep now but I don’t think I can leave him.”_

He waits a few minutes.

**To JunJun**

_Okay, want me to prepare a bottle? Jongin is still upset a little but I think I can sew it back together._

**To Kris**

_A bottle would be perfect babe._

 

Baekhyun and Yixing had the exact same thing. They both had a small mental problem that caused them to sometimes be younger than they are. Both of their vocab is slightly worse than it should be, and they both struggle with things. Baekhyun struggled with eating, drinking, controlling his emotions and talking. Yixing mostly struggled with talking, reading and being mature. He loved unicorns and is terrified of getting bullied.

There’s a small knock on the door, and Luhan pokes his head through the crack in the door, and walks in when Junmyeon says so. He tiptoes over and passes the warm bottle over and climbs into the bed. Luhan stays quiet, and does lay down, eventually closing his eyes and curling around Baekhyun, like a protective older puppy

. It makes Junmyeon’s heart swell.

“Will Baekkie be alright?” Luhan whispers.

“He will, but we need to wake him up.” Junmyeon replies, and Luhan unlatches himself from Baekhyun and lets Appa pick the younger boy up. Baekhyun whimpers whilst slowly opening his eyes, and Junmyeon cradles him closer.

Baekhyun gladly takes the bottle when its pressed against his lips, and doesn’t make any move showing panic when Junmyeon takes him downstairs, but he does keep his eyes on Appa’s shoulder. Junmyeon does suddenly notice that there’s a pretty bad bruise on the babies arm but can work out what happened already, without asking.

When Junmyeon says he’s going to take him downstairs, Luhan offers to carry him, but both realise that the ten year old probably couldn’t carry him even if he tried. Baekhyun starts to thrash about, thinking that Kris is going to yell at him, and only calms down when Luhan tucks the younger stuffed puppy into his arms, and Baekhyun calms down.

Jongin is staring at Kris as his father begins to sew the beautiful bear back together with careful fingers. Minseok is reorganising the various threads into colours, which is a lot of colours if your Kim Minseok. When Jongin sees Baekhyun, he doesn’t yell or cry, he simple runs over and olds up a small bottle.

Junmyeon sets Baekhyun down, and the boy takes the small bottle.

“It’s bruise cream. Jongin wants to give it to baekhyun.

” Baekhyun threw his arms round Jongin.

“I’m sorry! Please don’t be angry!”

“Nope. No angry.”

The little Puppy and Bear never fought after that day. Jongin helped to rub it into the cream and let Baekhyun cry into his shoulder when it really began to sting as it settled into the skin. Jongin also gave Baekhyun his last chicken nugget and Baekhyun gave him most of his ice cream as a sorry, despite how Junmyeon still gave him more.


	4. So, no more football?

“Baba?”

A three-year-old Jongin waddles over to Yifan, who immediately sweeps the baby off his feet, spinning in a circle that makes the toddler in his arms giggle loudly and cuddle closer to his Baba. Jongin’s brown curly hair slightly drapes over his eyes and makes him try and blow it away, which fails and makes Yifan laugh with his small child whilst tucking it behind Jongin’s ear

“What’s wrong? Hungry?” Yifan asks, knowing the child might not have a full vocabulary yet to ask.

“Lulu sad Baba.”

This made Yifan look up, only now noticing that his second eldest child is not in the room anymore. His husband, Junmyeon, is playing with Baekhyun and Tao, with a baby Sehun on his lap, who’s also giggling loudly and babbling nonsense. From the yelling outside, Yifan can guess that Minseok, Chanyeol, Jongdae and Kyungsoo are playing football, without him even looking for them. The living room has a fill wall of windows, so they can see the large garden, and the forest that backs onto. It’s weird not to see Luhan in the garden playing his favourite game, especially when it’s with Minseok.

Yixing is in the corner, singing to himself a little, and staring off into space without a care in the world. Yifan feels slightly bad for him but knows that his brothers would do anything to protect him, even their two-year-old Tao. The book in front of him is full of beautiful drawings that they might not be able to understand and decipher, but they are still beautiful. It’s easy to see who Luhan was, as his drawing would have pink hair, like he did in real life, and Yifan had long hair. He mostly always worse his half up half down. Junmyeon also let Chanyeol dye his hair red, still wondering to this day how they managed to get him to sit still for that long.

But still, no sign of Luhan.

Taking Jongin over to Yixing, he asks the seven-year-old to take care of Jongin for a while whist he searches for his older brother. Yixing gladly agrees and coos at the younger toddler in his arms and gives him an eskimo kiss. Jongin laughs loudly and curls into Yixing.

Yifan runs up the stairs, and heads straight for Minseok’s and Luhan’s bedroom, popping his head around the door to find something, he’d never thought he’d see.

Luhan is folding all of his football gear into a cardboard box that’s placed on the bed. The three t-shirts that have his name and number on the back go in first, and the few pairs of shorts and socks. He then gently places in his pictures and trophies, making sure to leave Minseok’s ones behind. The boy is sniffles as he does so, as if he’s being forced to. His wall next to his bed is covered with various photo’s and there’s now spaces where he’d taken them down. Football was the best thing that had ever happened to Luhan, and now he was giving it up like it was absolutely nothing.

Luhan barely manages to lift up the heavy box to bring it to the floor and shove it under his bed, looking distraught whilst he does so.

“What are you doing Lu?” Yifan asks, now leaning on the doorframe.

“Baba!” Luhan jumps out of his skin, “Umm…I… Baba…”

Yifan runs over, hating it when he sees one of his children crying, and pulls him into a tight hug whilst the boys sobs ‘” baba!’ over and over again. Yifan rests against the bed, Luhan sat in his lap, dampening his fathers shirt with tears. It causes Luhan’s body to be weak, and he desperately tries to stay standing, but Kris sets him down on his thigh, cradling him tight.

“Luhan? What’s wrong? Please tell me.” Yifan asks, and gently pushes him away to look into his eyes.

“They kicked me out of the team Baba. I can’t do football anymore…” Luhan sobs, and its breaking Yifan’s heart.

“Why did they kick you out of the team? You’re an awesome footballer.” “Because I keep talking about music instead of football at lunchtimes. Baba, they don’t like me because I want to do music instead.”

Yifan understand what Luhan is talking about, as Luhan liked listening to music quite often. His large hands runs up and down the boys back as he begins to calm down. Luhan is cleary tired as he leans into Yifan again, and rests against Yifan’s body, pressing his face into his dad’s neck and hiccupping a little.

“Do you want to come downstairs or do you want to sleep in our bed?”

“Can I sleep in your bed?” Luhan whispers, and Yifan replies by picking him up, and walking to his bedroom. Luckily, Luhan is already wearing comfortable clothes, and doesn’t need to change.

Luhan gets tucked into Yifan’s and Junmyeon’s large bed, and he stays for a while to watch Luhan rest. And soon, Yifan leaves the snoring boy.

 

“Where’s Luhan? We need a goalie.” Minseok asks, panting whilst he hold the ball under his arm.

“He’s asleep at the moment Minnie. He’s not feeling too well.”

“Oh… Okay Baba.” And Minseok runs back out, yelling to Chanyeol something unhearable.

“Why’s he not feeling well?” Junmyeon ask, patting Sehun on the back as he holds the baby against his chest as they both walk into the kitchen.

“He’s been kicked out of the football team as he wants to do music instead.” Yifan says, sipping on a coffee.

“Really? God, he must be so upset.”

“He is. I caught him boxing up his pictures and trophies.”

“Christmas is coming up. What about an instrument?” Junmyeon suggests, as they had actually been struggling to think of something for his Christmas present

“Guitar?”

“I’d love for one of our children to learn how to play guitar.” Junmyeon smiles.

“I think Chanyeol wants to play piano and guitar.”

“BABA! LUHAN BEEN SICK!” Baekhyun cried, standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Yifan sprints past the small child to find his bedroom, only finding the sheets messed up. He then hears faint heaving from the bathroom, and flings open the door. He ends up knelt by Luhan’s side, with Junmyeon on the other side, both helping as the child between them brings up anything he’d eaten during the day.

It turned out Luhan had been crying and coughing too hard over the entire situation that had happened at school the day before. Once he’s feeling a little better, they take him downstairs. He’s wrapped up in a large blanket when Minseok comes running in, covered in mud with Chanyeol by his side after Yixing told them what happened.

“Who cares about a football _team_? Our family is the best team.” Minseok yells, standing proudly with Chanyeol by his side and for the first time that day, they saw Luhan smile brightly.

 

_Two months later_

It’s Christmas day, and it’s really peaceful despite what people would think. The two parents are so excited to see Luhan open his, so they give him his first.

Luhan slowly unwraps it before bursting into tears, making Tao beside him franticly try and stop him crying, only to smile when Luhan yells THANKYOU! At the top of his voice.

The guitar is engraved with his name, and Luhan is so happy. The wood is a darker colour and it’s already tuned. Kris had found some books on Luhan’s favourite songs and how to play them with step by step instructions. He asks innocently whether or not it would get annoying and both males shook their heads, Baby Sehunnie reaching over to pluck a string and it making a low side.

Then comes Minseoks gift.

The eldest child had given his pocket money to his parents and asked if he could buy an album for Luhan, and Yifan immedaitly said yes, if that’s what he wanted to do. Luhan practically burst into tears, and asked him why, because Minseok had been saving up for his new kit.

“Because my brother is worth the world.”

From that day onwards, Luhan sits in the garden, only when its sunny, and learns how to play guitar with Chanyeol at his side watching his brother carefully and asking questions. Luhan doesn’t get annoyed by the questions like most people, because he’s awnsering what hes learnt, and it makes both him and Chanyeol proud.

 

When Junmyeon’s birthday comes round a few weeks later, Luhan’s playing the guitar to his favourtie song whilst Yixing tries to sing along, which ends in laughter and big hugs. Luhan couldn’t be more happy thanks to his parents.


	5. Tell Appa and Baba!

Luhan doesn’t want to do home anymore, so he finds himself in the park. The entire, what, six hours he had been at school and his after-school club, he had wanted to run home and sob in the arms of his Appa and Baba. Minseok had already walked home from his afterschool club whilst Luhan disappeared and ran the other way before his older brother could see him. He had gathered himself a black eye and a horrible cut down his cheek from some bullies at the very beginning of the school day, staying way from Minseok the entire day, which he manages to do, despite how it probably hurt him.

The bullies. They’d yelled at him, telling him he was disgusting for being too girly. They even said Yixing wasn’t normal, even if Yixing didn’t go to the school as he was home-schooled. People knew Yixing in the town for being adorable and loved by all the old ladies in the coffee shop, and lots of children knew him. They told him he was gross because he was adopted, and no one loved him.

His Baba and Appa loved him, right? And the bullies were just lying… right?

He uses his feet to push himself back and forth before the light begins to die down and he faces going home. Walking home was the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life, and he considers running back to his friends Taemin’s house, and he wanted to turn around and run away, but he couldn’t hurt and disobey his parents like that. His Appa will probably yell and send him to his room anyway, as the ten-year-old had always been trusted to walk home by himself, and so had a ten-year-old Minseok, the twins.

Baekhyun screams out his name when he enters the large house, causing his parents to walk into the hallway too, but everyone in the vicinity freezes when they hear Baekhyun gently words.

“Blood on Lulu’s cheek?”

“Wu Luhan why is your eyes black and blue” Yifan asks, grabbing his child’s wrists to hold him still and look into his eyes.

“Don’t worry Baba, it really doesn’t hurt! Look!” Luhan goes to poke the area around his eye, and whimpers when he does so, as it really does hurt.

“Luhan don’t lie.”

“Is that why you ignored me all day?” Minseok’s now joined them

“What? No, I didn’t” Luhan blatantly lies, pretending not to know what Minseok was on about.

“It was those bullies wasn’t it! YOU IDIOT LUHAN I TOLD YOU TO TELL APPA!” Minseok yells, pushing his brother into the wall.

“YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY SAID!” Luhan shouts back, trying to hit his brother.

“Stop!” Junmyeon cried, and pushed the two away from each other, and his husband trying to help. Baekhyun still standing in the hallway, tears rolling down his cheek as he watched, terrified about what his brothers were yelling about.

Yifan is holding Luhan gently, thankfully still holding him when Luhan’s knees buckle and he collapses to the ground.

“They laughed at me for being adopted and said that I shouldn’t have dyed my hair pink and that I was too girly. They said that Yixing was retarded and couldn’t even talk properly.” Luhan sobs, and Minseok bursts into tears as well.

“You promised me you’d tell me…” Yifan slowly picks up Luhan, hugging the child so tight and Junmyeon does the same with Minseok, Chanyeol now clinging onto Baekhyun to calm his slightly older brother.

“You and I both know Yixing is not retarted and is perfectly normal. It was your descion to dye your hair and your opinion on what you look like. We adopted you because we loved you at first sight, the same with every single one of our children.”

“Yixing does have a mental disability and so does Baekhyun, but that only means they won’t learn as quick! They are completely normal, just behind for their age. We love you Luhan, so don’t listen to the,”

“I don’t want to go ever again.”

Yifan and Junmyeon understand what he says immediately. And both have the same thought of creating and sending an email to the school and pulling him out of school altogether. Both of them had had enough instances at school. There was only three weeks until the end of the year, so they would have Luhan endure that with close on eye him and take him out before the next year started.

“You missed dinner. Should I warm yours up in the microwave?” Yifan asks.

“Yes please.”

“Why don’t you go with Appa who will help your eye a little?” He says, and puts the boy down, taking off his coat and hanging it up.

“Appa! Can we help” Chanyeol and baekhyun ask, and Junmyeon lets Minseok go.”

“Of course, as long as your promise to be careful.”

“We will.”

 

When Luhan, Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Junmyeon return, Yifan has the eldest’s dinner ready. All of his brothers sit up with him at the table, showing the drawings they had done in the day. They were different variations of flowers, except Jongin’s and Sehun’s which are hand prints with their ages written on the palm. Luhan smiles brightly, not even dimming when little Baekhyun asks what he did at school today.

“We did maths, and we had to write a story about our best friends.”

“Who did you pick!” Is the next question from most of the children?

“All of you!”

Kyungsoo flinches at the sudden bursts of yelling, and Junmyeon tries to hush them before they can get louder.

“Now that Luhan’s finished, can we have desert?”

“You waited for me to get home?” Luhan asks, looking at his parents.

“We knew something was wrong when Minseok was waiting for you on the stairs.”

Luhan makes a little -oh- and looks to his twin as his parents go off to prepare whatever they were having for their desert, which was the best part of the day. It was a chocolate cake that Appa, Jongin, Tao, Kyungsoo and Yixing had had fun creating


	6. Yixing's bad day

Kris and Junmyeon wake up immediately when they felt a body in between them. When Kris forced his eyes open, he found their seven-yr. old Yixing asleep in the middle of them, sucking on his thumb and breathing steadily. His heart is warm at the sight, and so is Junmyeon’s when he looks up and catches Kris looking at their child too. It was defiantly the rarest thing that had happened this week. Usually, Baekhyun would take him in his bed in the mornings, but today must be different.

Yixing whimpers quietly, and curls further into Kris, the little unicorn plushie clutched tightly. After the incident with Chanyeol and his fever, Junmyeon’s first instincts are to check Yixing’s temperature with his hand, only to find there’s no heat at all.

When then little boy does wake up, he rubs his eyes cutely and whimpers again, this time, sounding a little pained.

“What’s wrong Xing Xing?”

The little boy just shrugs his shoulders, and a little bit of his brown hair falls in front of his eyes. He snuggles further up to Kris, pulling the duvet so his words are muffled, and Kris pulls them down again, so they can hear what he’s saying

. “I don’t want Lulu to go to school.” He says slowly, thinking about each word carefully so that he would get the sentence perfect.

“Why not?” Junmyeon asks, hauling Yixing onto his chest, and Kris moves closer so that he can also see Yixing’s beautiful little face.

“He’ll be sad.”

Junmyeon and Kris feel their hearts swell as Yixing speaks, knowing he has the most wonderful little heart. Yixing understands when Kris says that Luhan does have to go to school for the remaining on the school year and Yixing’s mood goes down, and he snuggles closer to his fathers. The time was around six, and they could hear people moving around the house, and then they heard Baby Sehun crying out for them.

Junmyeon is quick to leave to run to the next room, re-entering carrying a small Sehun and Jongin who’s stumbling behind him, rubbing his eyes of sleep whilst walking. When Luhan catches him in the hallway, he tells him to gather everyone into the bedroom, and ten minutes later, their all sat on his and Kris’ bed.

Yixing was on Luhan’s lap, head buried in his shoulder whilst Luhan rubs his back.

“It’s okay Xing, I’ll try and be happy!” Luhan giggles.

“Otay.”

 

The entire day feels like hell for little Yixing, everywhere he looks just reminds him of his older brother who will probably come back home in pain. Yixing curled up against the windows and hesitated by still asked if he could go out and use the swing. Junmyeon nodded and helped him unlock the door. He had finished his reading for the day, so it was acceptable to go outside. Baekhyun wanted to follow him, but Junmyeon said that he needed his own time, and so Baekhyun left him alone.

Yixing swung back and forth slowly, tears building in his eyes, but he won’t let them fall. He knows that him crying would make Luhan upset

. He does go a little higher then he meant to, and accidently falls off.

It doesn’t take ten seconds for Kris to cross the garden and pick Yixing up, checking over him to make sure he’s alright.

Yixing had such a tender heart and loved to make people happy. It hurt his soul when people were sad or were in pain. He wanted everyone to be happy, even in story books. Being Autistic made him younger in the mind, and he always wanted to colour, but never had his put up, because his other brother drew a lot too, and they wanted their shown.

Kris was surprised when Yixing didn’t cry and grew a little worried.

“Yixing, are you okay?”

“uh huh.”

“Yixing, tell me the truth.”

“I’m okay!”

Kris loves his little boy, and carried him back inside where together, they begin to eat their lunch.

 

When Luhan returns home, Yixing’s literally the happiest person in the universe. Luhan gets almost floored when Yixing runs and jumps at him. Thankfully, Luhan catches him and holds him close. Yixing helps him through the rest of the afternoon with homework, even if he can’t understand half of what he’s doing. The little boy helps with Luhan’s art homework, carefully colouring the tree and making sure he stays inside the lines as much as possible. It’s the most concentrated they’d ever seen him. But it affects him. When he goes to ask Luhan if he can go and get a drink, he finds himself unable to do so.

His mind is blank as he stares at Luhan, and promptly bursts into tears

**. Because he can’t remember Luhan’s name.**

It’s all because of his autism. So long without babbling to himself has done something, and he can’t even remember Luhan’s name. It hurts him, and he just stands there with tears running down his face. Junmyeon and Kris are worried, because they can’t tell what Yixing is crying about. He’s trying to use his hands to help him but nothing’s working. Kris begins to think that he’s really hurt himself from falling off the swing, but they do decide to let him cry it out until he can figure out what’s wrong

. “N…Nam…. Name?” He asks through his tears, pointing to Luhan, and Kris immediately understands.

“Oh Yixing, it’s okay baby.”

“His name is Wu Luhan, remember now.”

And it all comes back to Yixing in a wave. His brother name is Luhan. Little Yixing hated his autism without really knowing what it is because of it.

 

Their bedtime is usually half eight, seven for the youngest ones. Luhan and Minseok when at nine, but tonight, it was all different.

When Junmyeon and Kris return from washing the dishes, they both wonder as to why it’s so quiet.

Minseok is holding Sehun close as they watch Nemo, Baekhyun already crying once about the little clownfish leaving his dad and having Chanyeol comfort him quickly so their own parents don’t have to. Tao and Jongin are watching too, a fluffy blanket tucked around their shoulder. Kyungsoo’s isn’t watching, but buried in a book instead, little finger tracing underneath the sentence so he doesn’t loose his space. Jongdae is looking out of the window, because all the lights are off, and he can see the stars. Luhan and Yixing however.

Ahh, the two are both led on the sofa, fast asleep. Kris and Junmyeon decide to join Jongdae and ask him what he’s looking at.

“the stars! That ones called Andante.” He whispers.

“Why Andante?” Kris whispers.

“Because that’s what Yixing called it when I asked him.”

Jongdae yawns loudly and moves to rest his head against Junmyeon’s shoulder.

“Appa? When’s bedtime?” He mumbles and lets Appa pick him up. He rests fully on his Appa’s chest and begins to close his eyes.

“Is the film over?” Kris asks.

“Yeah.”

“Okay, come one then, bed time.”

For once, it wasn’t that hard to get them all to bed.

They did have set rooms, but they changed over time. Except for Luhan and Minseok, who always stayed together.

Sehun and Jongin go to bed first, Kris lowering the two into their cots and gently laying a blanket over them. He turns on their nightlights and quiet mobiles that play soft music to lull them to sleep. Whilst Kris does this, Junmyeon is lowering a very tired Jongdae into his bed, Baekhyun running over to say goodnight to his brother before going across the room to his own bed. Luhan and Minseok are in the bathroom, helping Tao brush his teeth whilst Chanyeol, Kyungsoo and Yixing are already on it. With nice clean teeth, Kris takes Tao in his arms and holds hands with Yixing whilst he leads the two Chinese boys into their room. Tao has a slightly more protected bed, so he wouldn’t fall out during the night. Yixing was already asleep by the time Kris got to say goodnight.

Chanyeol and Kyungsoo are tucked in by Junmyeon and each get a little kiss to the forehead, and they both giggle, before both parents move to say goodnight to their twins. They stay silent as they watch Minseok and Luhan. The two are making sure their books are ready for the next day, Luhan being a bit lethargic to do so.

“English is tomorrow…”

“I know… I’ll wait for you outside okay?”

“Okay… But it’s not the same.”

Minseok quickly crosses the room to hug his teary brother, without really knowing that he too, is crying. Earlier in the day, Junmyeon did get a call from the school telling him that the boys work had gotten better since they had moved classes, and that Junmyeon should keep them apart at home too. Once the phone call ended, Junmyeon held Sehun tight whilst he told the boy what had happened, even if the one year old had no idea what was being said to him.

“Luhan, can you move the lamp off of the bedside table for me?” Kris asks, startling the two. Luhan quickly does what he’s told and steps out of the way. Together, Jun and Kris move the bedside table and push the beds together to make a miniature double bed.

“Minseok, Luhan, take care of each other okay?”

“We will.”

A kiss to the forehead sends them both into a sleepy state and it makes the two parents giggle.

That night, Junmyeon slept close to Kris, their hands intertwined as their eyes closed and welcomed dream world. Kris doesn’t mind having Junmyeon’s head on his chest, and it makes him feel safe. Thankfully, all of his children slept throughout the night thoroughly. The night was over quickly, and the next day had arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note - This is how I imagine Autisim would be for a child and after some research, it makes sense for the type of characters that Yixing and Baekhyun are"


	7. Sick Chanyeollie

Chanyeol wakes up with his face buried in the fur of his stuffed animal, and can’t really understand where he is or what the time is. He hopes its not to late in the morning, so he can stay in his warm bed, but at the same time, he’s sweating buckets. When the little five year old does so, he shivers violently, and has to pull the covers back up to his neck, and whines loudly when he feels the heat engulf him again. When he sits up properly, his head spins violently, and his vision goes blurry for a while until he lays back down. Somethings wrong.

On the other side of the room, Kyungsoo is already up and deciding whether or not to leave Chanyeol. When he smells bacon, the boy tiptoes away from his older brother and goes downstairs to find everyone else awake, including Sehun, who usually loves a lie in but is wide awake and cheering as Baba flips a pancake perfectly.

“Good morning Soo! Where’s your brother?” Junmyeon asks, picking up his little Kyungsoo and sitting him on his hip whilst he pats Jongin’s head.

“Asleep. But he was fighting with his blankets.”

God did Junmyeon love it when Kyungsoo spoke. He had such a large range of vocabulary yet took a little while to form a sentence, but he always got their in the end. Kyungsoo spots Luhan on the sofa, with his school uniform on and looking like he’s going to burst into tears at any moment. Junmyeon puts the four year old down when he kicks lightly, and watches as Kyungsoo waddles over to try and make his big brother happy again.

What no one is expecting to hear is Luhan laughing loudly, and when they all look round, Kyungsoo and Minseok are attacking him with wiggling fingers and a thousand kisses to the face.

Junmyeon and Kris really do love their children.

After another ten minutes, Kris realises Chanyeol still isn’t down, and this sends him into a worried state. He asks if Luhan and Minseok can help Appa with the serving of plates whilst he goes to check, and both boys looking smart in their uniform run to help.

Kris makes his way up the stairs quite quickly, his long legs carrying him to where he needed to be. When he goes into Kyungsoo’s and Chanyeol’s room, he stifles a gasp and runs over to the child's side.

Chanyeol is practically drenched in sweat but the covers are all the way up to his mouth. Where the child hasn’t noticed Baba’s in the room, he coughs violently, and with nowhere to spit out what had come out of his lungs, he swallows it back down with a loud whine. Kris kneels down, and presses the back of his hand onto Chanyeol’s forehead, almost flinching away when he feels the intense heat from the boys skin. Kris wants to whine himself. Instead, he slides his arms underneath Chanyeol’s body to pick him up. The boy wake up and clings onto his father. Kris knows that if he were to leave, Chanyeol would get upset, and he can’t yell because he’d scare the children, not just the one in his arms but all of them, so he had to pick Chanyeol up, and take him downstairs.

Chanyeol’s got his legs round Kris’ waist, barely, and their chest to chest with Chanyeol’s head weakly resting on Kris’ shoulder. Kris has to use one arm to support the boys bottom whilst the other is holding a blanket to him, despite how he’s sweating. Chanyeol’s already fallen asleep again, just another sign of the sickness he has.

When Kris walks into the living room, Baekhyun, who’s about to run at him and jump into his arms, stops and cries out for Chanyeol, causing the rest of his brother to cry out. Junmyeon almost immediately jumps into action, running over and placing his hand on the back to Chanyeol’s head.

“Did you wake him up? Or has he fallen asleep again?”

“He fell asleep again. I couldn’t leave him. He was clinging on.”

“Okay, Let me get the medicine from upstairs.” Junmyeon says.

“I’ll do it Appa! Stay with Channie!” Yixing yells, and grabs Jongdae, and together the boy boys run upstairs to the bathroom, without actually knowing what they are getting.

When the two return, the two parents laugh when they see Yixing carrying the first aid kit and once large plastic tub of various medicines, whilst Jongdae holds the second large tub of medicines.

It takes a few minutes for Junmyeon to finds what he wants, but he does eventually. As he uncaps and disinfect the thermometer, Kris wakes up Chanyeol for the second time. Before Junmyeon can go near him with the stick, Chanyeol's begins coughing again, and once again, his mouth is full of icky stuff from his lungs.

“Don’t swallow it Chanyeol, spit it into here.” Kris says, thankful he had the tiny bowl at hand.

Chanyeol spits out a greenish thick liquid that Junmyeon calls mucus, but Chanyeol can’t even recognise what that means. He's barely awake whilst Minseok and Luhan say goodbye, and have to run off and to school, as they were the only two that went to school, the others were home-schooled. Junmyeon sticks the thermometer into Chanyeol mouth and under his tongue, and waits for the beep.

“We need to take him to hospital.” Junmyeon says, and Kris looks up immediately, whilst Yixing bursts into tears.

“Why Appa!” He cries, and Junmyeon has to go over and comfort him.

“Because his temperature is very high okay? What if we call over Minho and Jonghyun? Then you can play with Taemin, Key and Onew?”

“Yay! Uncle MinMin!” Yixing smiles.

 

Kris runs upstairs with Junmyeon, who’s already on the phone. Whilst he’s ringing Minho, Junmyeon’s packing a bag. The only bag he really has it the one that he carries around when he takes Sehun and Jongin anywhere, as it usually holds nappies and bottles. He empties them onto his bed before moving to Chanyeol’s room. He packs extra clothes, both summer and winter style, a blanket, his new stuffed animal that could be washed when they got back. He even packs bottles and milk powder. Kris is changing Chanyeol into something thinner, and when he holds him to his chest again, he wraps him up in another blanket. He might be overdoing it, but as a mother figure, he needed to feel safe.

“ _Hello? Jun?”_

“Oh Minho! I thought you’d never answer!”

_“Be glad Taemin didn’t answer, he had my phone! What’s wrong? You sound like you’ve seen a ghost.”_

“Chanyeol’s sick and we need to take him to hospital? Are you and Jonghyun able to—”

“ _We’ll be over in ten, wait until we’re there to leave.”_

“Thank you Minho!”

_“No worries.”_

The call ends just like that, and Kris is smiling.

“What did we do to get such good friends?” He says, and Junmyeon shrugs.

“Swap?”

Junmyeon puts the bag down to take Chanyeol in his arms and rock the baby close. He’s trying to stay awake, and his eyes are bloodshot.

“We’re going to take you to the doctors, and then you’ll feel all better.”

Chanyeol simply coughs in reply, tears rolling down his face and a small whine escaping.

“It’s okay baby…”

“I’ll pack some wipes and tissues.”

 

True to his word, Minho and Jonghyun arrive in ten minutes, and usher them out of the door with the promise that the two will drive carefully to the hospital. Sehun cried loudly when the door closed, but almost immediately shushed when a familiar smell made its way into his nose, and a warmth spread around his small body. When he looks up, Jonghyun is holding him, and Sehun smiled ever so happily. Jongin is rushing to the kitchen where he can see Taemin and the two little two year olds are giggling whilst they hug tightly. Baekhyun is still upset, and Minho is sorting that out, whilst the rest of them start to play cars with Onew and Key.

Thankfully, Taemin was a little autistic like Yixing and Baekhyun, so both Jonghyun and Minho knew how to deal with them. Yixing didn’t seem to be in a younger headspace, trying uselessly to teach a Tao, a three year old, how to pronounce various car parts. Baekhyun however, had a little blue pacifier in his mouth, and slowly drifting off to sleep in Minho’s arms.

“Will Channie be okay?” He whispers.

“Oh course, Chanyeol’s a strong boy.”

“Okay Uncle MinMin.”

 

Kris and Junmyeon are now waiting for the nurse to call them in. They had taken Chanyeol away to perform various tests on him as to why he was so sick. When they are finally called in, they find Chanyeol, once again, fast asleep but with a cannula in his left arm, which is forcing liquid into his body, as he was unable to drink. His temperature had gone down, but he was still sweating. Junmyeon carefully runs his fingers through Chanyeol’s dyed red hair. How they got the boy to sit still for enough time so that Junmyeon could dye it, no body knew.

When Kris’ phone rings, he’s expecting the worst, but doesn’t get what he’s expecting.

_“Taemin? Did you call someone by accident?”_

_“I think so.”_

_“Oh Taeminnie! Say something!”_

_“umm… Hello?”_

_“Uncle MinMin! LuLu and Seokie are home!”_

_“Are they? Why don’t you go greet them Baek?”_

_“Who’s Taemin on the phone to?”_

_“I think It’s Kris?”_

_“Hi Baba! We got home okay!”_

“You are all the funniest children in the universe.” Kris giggles, and he can hear Minho’s laugh.

_“Have you been good for Minho?”_

_“Yep! We made cupcakes!” Baekhyun yells._

_“And Sehun—MinMin where did LuLu go?” They can hear Jongdae’s worried little voice._

_“He went straight to the bedroom.” Minseok answers._

_“I’ll go and check.” Jonghyun says from the side._

_“Kris, is Chanyeol doing okay?”_

“He’s alright. I think we’ll be home tonight. If it’s late, you guys can stay over.”

_“YAY SLEEPOVER!”_

Yep, that was definitely Taemin. Definitely. That boy practically lived off of sleepovers, especially with Jongin and Jongdae.Hearing that everyone was okay, except maybe for Luhan, made Kris feel a bit better about leaving them. He hoped nothing was up with Luhan, certainly aftering the football team incident and his black eye that had only just healed after a few days of him wearing an eye patch and Tao yelling Pirate at him. The elder Chinese boy didn’t mind, and would tackle Tao with tickles afterwards.

 

Jonghyun knocked on the twins door before entering, and greeting Luhan with a plate of cookies and two mugs of milk. It was an old favourite of both of them. But Jonghyun had to place them down quickly and without spilling anything, to hold Luhan close as the boy sobbed into his shoulder. Luhan had such a fragile heart that took almost everything to break, but this time, for his sobs to be so desperate and for him to be clinging onto Jonghyun like he would Kris, something was definitely wrong. Jonghyun rocks them back an forth, and he’s seriously considering whether to call Minho up, or even call Kris. But Chanyeol needed Kris and Junmyeon, and the remaining children needed Minho, so for now, Jonghyun would have to deal with this.

“What’s wrong baby Lu? What’s got you so riled up huh?”

“I…I..I” Luhan doesn’t make it further than that before crying out again. It makes Jonghyun’s heart ache.

“It’s okay, take your time.”

“We were playing a game, in the play… playground… And someone pushed me over again… but then Minseok fell off the monkey bars. And we were playing a game, and he died in the game. But I don’t want Minnie to die…”

It’s a bit of a longwinded explanation, but Jonghyun gets through it. Key loved to take ages to tell a story, so he was almost used to it.

“Every timeI close my eyes I can just see Minseok hurt and…”

“It’s okay Luhan. Just talk it out.”

“I was so scared. I thought he was really hurt, but when I went to run over, they said I was big baby and should just go away. So I did.”

“Is your knee okay?”

Luhan shakes his head, and Jonghyun repositions himself so he can pass the mug of milk down and put the plate on the floor. Luhan nibbles on a cookie whilst Jonghyun rolls up his trouser leg and gasps at the large cut on the boys leg.

“Luhan, Kris said you got a black eye the other day. Is it the same boys?”

Luhan nods quickly, wincing as Jonghyun wipes away the blood and puts a plaster over it. Jonghyun sits with him for a while, letting Luhan’s eyes calm down and look like he hasn’t been crying like he has. Unfortunately, Luhan isn’t feeling right anymore, and clings to Jonghyun.

“Come on, we can cuddle downstairs.”

 

Most of the boys are asleep when Kris, Chanyeol and Junmyeon return home. They now know what they need to do, is swap Chanyeol’s thick duvet for some thin sheets, keep him topped up with paracetamol and keep him drinking.

When they enter, they do expect someone to run at them, but nobody comes. The living room is quiet, and the sight warms their hearts.

Minho has Sehun on his chest, Jongin in one arm and Jongdae in the other. Jonghyun has Luhan clung to him whilst Taemin is holding Jjongs hand. Key and Onew are cradling Tao whilst the others are piled on the floor surrounded by pillows and soft animals. They find it a little weird how close Luhan is to Jonghyun, as the boy wasn't really one for hugs. Minho opens his eyes and smiles at Kris, who returns the favour whilst Junmyeon goes up to lay Chanyeol down. Kris makes his way over, trying not to stand on any children. He takes Sehun in his arms and the baby wakes up. He’s about to scream, but when he sees Baba, he smiles.

“They’ve all been perfect. Just keep an eye of Luhan. Jonghyun will probably explain further.”

Kris can presume what’s happened already.

“I can’t wait for the school year to be over. We’re pulling the twins out.” Kris whispers.

“Sounds good. We’re still deciding what to do with out Taemin.”

 

When it’s time to say goodbye, Luhan give one last hug to Jonghyun and thanks him.

“Tell Appa and Baba, okay?”

“I will. See you next time Jjong”

 

“Baba? Appa?”

The two males in question look up from their film to see Luhan standing at the foot of the stairwell, holding his deer plushie close to his chest. It’s almost one in the morning, as they got back at midnight. Hopefully Taemin wasn’t too upset at missing a sleepover.

“What’s up kiddo? Couldn’t sleep?”

At that moment, Kris looked at his phone as it pinged. A message from Jonghyun.

“Luhan, can I read this to appa?” He asks, pointing the phone to Luhan.

 _About Luhan_ is what the message reads.

“Yeah.”

_About Luhan._

_Baby Lu got upset earlier, but more like hysterical crying than anything. From what he said, I gathered him, Minseok and some others were playing at school, and Minseok fell off of the monkey bars and pretended to die, like in a game type of way. Luhan told me he could see it when he closed his eyes and didn’t want Minseok to die. He also told me that he was pushed over and called a big baby for wanted to check on Min. His knee was pretty badly cut but I sorted it out. If he hasn’t told you already, try and talk to him. Something is going on. Send my love to LuLu and tell him he can have milk and cookies any day of the week._

By the end of the small conversation, Luhan’s sniffling into Junmyeon’s shoulder.

Okay, so this might take a while to sort out.


	8. Luhan's bullies

“Well we were playing with Taeyong and Lucas and Minseok was on the monkey bars when he fell. He pretended to die from the fall and I got upset. So, I went to go over and check on him when I got pushed and I cut my knee on the edge of something. They then leaned down and whispered to me that I was a big baby. But every time I close my eyes I can just see Minseok hurt and…”

Junmyeon cuts him off by picking him up and sitting him on his lap, where he curled up and started fiddling with Junmyeon’s fingers to relieve some tension in his small body. The ten year old really did have a fragile heart like Jonghyun said when they first met him.

“Minseok got moved to a new class.”

Kris gasped and paused the tv.

“Say what now?”

“Minseok got moved to another class. The teacher said that other people in the class were getting distracted by us.”

“In what way?”

“We always talk about what we’re going to do at the weekends or at the end of the day. We get told off because ‘no one wants to hear about our brothers’.”

They each flinch when they hear Minseok’s tired voice, and smile when he does.

“Yeah, but the teachers like you. I always get detention but you don’t.” Luhan points out, and returns to messing with Junmyeon’s fingers, clear he really doesn’t want to talk about it anymore.

“Kid, you’ve only got two more weeks at school. Can you hold out for that long?”

Both boys barely nod, but still cuddle up to their fathers. Luhan holds in his sobs for a while, as he really doesn’t want to cry so late at night and for the second time in twenty four hours. He wasn’t a big baby.

“Hey, Lu. It won’t be that bad without me.”

“You’re the only one who stands up for me… If your in another class, the teachers might want us to stay away from each other in the playground. That’s what usually happens when people are split up!” Luhan cries and reaches out for his twin.

Junmyeon remembers the day they adopted them. They were five, and the orphanage despised them. Mainly because they were so loud. Or Minseok was. Luhan was a little quieter, and loved to play with the dolls and colouring books. The other small children made lots of fun of him but they ignored him In the end. The twins were closer than any other twins Junmyeon had ever met. Kris loved them so much, and the day he met them, two visits after Junmyeon’s, they adopted them. From that day onwards, Luhan almost had a fear of being disliked, yet wanted to be different.

Junmyeon could already tell Luhan was getting tired, and that usually meant some tears. He let the boy sniff and whimper into his shoulder, and he rocked him back and forth. Minseok fell asleep quite quickly, trying to stay awake so that he could comfort his brother, but he falls asleep quite by accident. Luhan calms down a little when he hears someone singing, and he looks up to see Kris, singing a tune in Mandarin, that he actually understood. It made him super relaxed and he soon falls asleep.

Kris and Junmyeon slowly take the boys upstairs, turning off the movie so that they can rest as well. Minseok curls into the duvets again, making Kris smile. Luhan however, won’t let go of Junmyeon, clinging onto his shirt. Junmyeon takes to putting the stuffed deer onto his chest, which works immedaitly.

 

Over the next two weeks, Luhan’s bullies get progressively worse, until Luhan fights back one day.

Minseok tried so hard to hold him back, but his brother elbowed him in the gut and Minseok was unable to move for a few seconds. A few seconds was just long enough for Luhan to run and punch the bully in the face, which was totally unlike Luhan to do so.

This ended in the worst way possible. The bully kicked Luhan’s feet from underneath him, and Luhan was sent head first into the pavement, knocking the poor boy out in seconds.

Minseok screams loudly for his younger brother, and the bullies run away before he can even yell at them. They were nowhere near the school, so there was no one around him to help. He crawls over to Luhan, and rolls him over. Blood is running down the side of his soft skin and his eyes are lightly closed. Despite how Minseok is shaking him, Luhan doesn’t wake up.

“LuLu!” He cries, tears dripping off his chin and onto Luhan’s school shirt, which is dirtied by the gravel he’s led on.

Minseok thinks he can carry Luhan home the rest of the way, and prays that his fathers know what to do. Gripping their school bags in either hand, arms hooked under Luhan’s legs and Luhan’s entire body weight pressing on his back, Minseok jogs home, sobbing loudly the entire way. He can’t even get his keys out of the bag to open the door, so he violently bangs on the door until one of them answer.

None of the eleven, including Kris, have heard Junmyeon swear so badly, and swear so much. Junmyeon immediately makes Minseok drop the bags and takes Luhan off him. The older twin runs into Kris’ embrace, bawling loudly, unable to even say what happened. Junmyeon knows that Kris needs to stay with them, so he says one single thing before leaving the house to take Luhan to hospital.

“Ring Minho and get him to come to the hospital, and let Jonghyun come here”

“JUN GO!” Kris cries, and the door slams shut.

 

Kris takes Minseok over to the living room, where his other brothers run over to hug him tightly, trying to cease the tears. The boy cries until it physically hurts, but smiles when Yixing does something cute. Yixing shoves his unicorn, Luhan’s deer and Kris’ alpaca called Ace into his arms and begs him to stop crying. Yixing barely ever lets anyone touch his unicorn. This makes Jongdae and Baekhyun run off, both boys returning with Dae’s dinosaur and Baek’s puppy. They, too, end up with Minseok, and he cuddles them close. Sehun can’t reach Minseok’s cheeks, and the elder has to lean down for Sehun to wipe away at the tears.

“No crwy.” He babbles and Minseok nods.

“Do you think you can tell me what happened?” Kris asks, watching as Yixing’s attention is turning back to the colouring book. Kyungsoo is the only one in the end that stays close.

“Luhan fought back. The bully was yelling at us, so I held Luhan back but he elbowed me. He then punched the bully but then got kicked and he hit his head on the floor. Baba, it’s my fault. I couldn’t even stop him.”

“Oh Min…”

Kris quickly remembers what Junmyeon had told him and he picked up his phone.

_“Oh hey Kris!”_

“Minho, please oh my god.”

_“Kris calm down, what’s happened?”_

“Junmyeon needs you at the hospital with Luhan and he said to get Jonghyun here.”

“ _Okay! I’ll drop Jjong and the kids off.”_

“Thank you so much.”

 

A few minutes later, Kris opens the door to Jonghyun, who’s carrying Taemin, Key and Onew by his sides. “Minho’s already gone. Is everything okay?” “Luhan fought back.” “Oh sweet Christ. He’s only ten! Is he okay?” “No. He fell unconscious and Minseok carried him home.” “Where’s Minseok now?” “Colouring.” Both parents walk over, and Taemin runs over to Kai, neither boys yelling but just hugging. It’s like their small little minds can tell what tension filled the room. Key and Onew sit in the places inbetween Chanyeol and Baekhyun.

Chanyeol is feeling a little better now, as he had a cold bath and slept all night with lots of medicine. As Baekhyun had seen his father do, he keeps pressing his palm to Chanyeol’s forehead, making Key giggle and do the same. Chanyeol laughs as it tickles.

Minseok is led on the floor, facing away from them on his side, facing the large bay windows that lead onto the decking and then the large garden. He has the various teddies infront of him, but is more concentrated on what the hell just happened. The past few weeks felt horrible, so far away from his little brother. He called him ‘little’ despite the fact they were only two hours apart. He didn’t want Luhan to be in pain, he wanted him right here, by his side and giggling when he makes the deer plushie attack him. He doesn’t realise he’s crying until someone’s picking him up off the floor and cuddling him. He ends up on Jonghyun’s lap watching as Kris plays with Jongin.

Sehun’s pushing himself up using the edge of the coffee table, but no one has noticed, until he stumbles and falls.

Minseok jolts up and runs over to his youngest brother, picking him up and cradling him close. By the sudden rush of affection, Sehun only giggles and claps his hands behind Minseok’s back, and the elders sighs thankfully and moves back to where he was before, resting in Jjong’s lap.

 

“He’s got a concussion, but no memory loss or significant damage. He should wake up in around half an hour to an hour.” The doctor says, and Junmyeon thanks him before he’s left alone in the room with his baby. Luhan has now got stitches in the side of his head that would surely cause a scar, but he was a brave boy, a strong boy.

Junmyeon was glad he had Minho with him, otherwise he would’ve had a miniature breakdown all on his own. Minho was also with him, running his hand up and down Luhan’s arms, even if the boy couldn’t feel it, he could see it made Junmyeon just that little bit more calm.

“He’ll be fine Jun, I promise.”

“If it wasn’t for Minseok, he wouldn’t even be here.” Junmyeon whispers.

“Why don’t you ring Kris? I’ll go and get some snacks.” Minho says.

Junmyeon watches Minho leaves the room, the other male carefully closing the door so it didn’t make a loud noise, and brings his phone out of his pocket. He hadn’t bought anything with him, just his phone and house keys. Nothing for Luhan and himself if they needed to stay overnight, which was a large possibility.

_“Junmyeon! How is it going?”_

_“APPA!”_

Junmyeon smiles at both his husbands voice and Tao’s. It’s clear that the three year old is on Kris’ hip.

“He’s okay. Got a concussion at four stitches, but that’s all, no damage whatsoever. Minho got here, but just left to get snacks. I might get him to drive home and get some stuff for us, I didn’t bring anything.”

“Thank god, Minseok’s been so worried, I’ll tell him once he’s awake. Jonghyun’s been singing songs for the last hour and I feel guilty, but he pushed me to the kitchen to cook.”

“What are you cooking baby?”

_“RICE!”_

_“That’s right Tao, we are cooking rice, and what else? Tell appa!”_

_“Rice and nam…namjack?”_

_“Close. Rice and Bulgogi.”_

“Well done Tao! Make sure Baba doesn’t burn anything!”

_“I will! Baba promised to get us some ice cream, and extra for Luhan!”_

“I’m sure Luhan will love that!”

They end the phone call with small ‘I love you’s’ and Junmyeon ends the call. Hearing Tao so happy in a time like this gave him a lot of hope, and when Minho returns with sandwiches and water.

“Jonghyun called me. He’s bringing some overnight stuff up here for me you and Luhan. He said he might bring Sehun too.”

“Oh Minho, you don’t have to stay with me.”

“I do, for your safety and Luhan’s.”

Minho lets Junmyeon rest against him in the end, the shorter male falls asleep, and Jonghyun arrives soon after with Sehun.

Minho kisses his husband gently, and they both wake up Junmyeon, with help from Sehun who gracefully smashes his Appa in the face with his tiny palms. Junmyeon’s face lights up immediately when he sees Sehun, and takes his youngest in his arms and cradles him.

“LuLu sleeping?” He asks innocently.

“Yes, he’s fast asleep.”

“Okaaayyy.”

Junmyeon rocks Sehun to sleep whilst Jonghyun goes through what he bought.

“Thankfully, the nurse knew who I was and let me in. I bought a few night clothes for you, a change of clothes for Luhan. I couldn’t bring his deer cos Minseok had it. Minseok’s blanket that he forced me to take. You’re charger. Oh Minho, I bought you some overnight stuff and your charger.”

“Thank you Jjong.”

“No worries. I should take Sehun back.”

“Be careful.”

“I will Jun, don’t worry.”

 

Just moments after Jonghyun leaves, a single word scares them.

“Appa?”

“Luhan!” Junmyeon cries, and runs over, running his hands down the side of Luhan’s face.

“Oh Luhan, my baby. You’re awake.” Luhan smiles weakly, and raises his arms a little so that Junmyeon gets the idea, and he finally gets his hug from Appa.

“Is Minseok okay?”

“He’s worried as anything. You scared the hell out of him.” Junmyeon whispers, “And me.”

“I’m sorry Appa, and Uncle Minho.”

“Don’t apologize Lu, you stood up for yourself.”

“By punching someone.

” “So? Punching someone is fun.”

Of course Minho would say that.


	9. Jongin's large heart

Little Kim Jongin was a wonder to the family. His large lips and obsessive love for chicken were just a few things that he went by. Jongin loved cuddles, and loved his big brother Kyungsoo. They were quiet together, and both loved listening to stories, especially if Baekhyun was making them up. His mind was just perfect for the younger children, being able to make up stories from left, right and centre without struggling.

Today, Jongin had been a bit playful.

Okay, playful might not be the right word.

Naughty would work better.

And now he’s ended up here, on the naughty step.

Jongin doesn’t know what the feeling is, deep in the pit of stomach making him feel sick as he was only three and had no idea what he felt. When he cried out, no one came. He loved his parents like the bear that was at the bottom of the stairs.

“Appa?” He whispered, and finally realised what he did.

He had hurt Jongdae. As in, threw a wooden building block and refused to say sorry. Jongin’s little mind felt awful, and he really really didn’t want Jongdae to hate him. Before Appa could come upstairs, and tell him that his time-out was over, he had run upstairs and climbed into his bed. It was hard to fall asleep without his Appa or Baba, and he just wanted to cry more.

But no, he was going to be a big boy and fall asleep by himself.

 

When Kris went to tell Jongin his time out was over, he wasn’t there. A little section of him was angry, but he felt like he couldn’t be angry at the little three year old.

When he walked into the nursery, Jongin was asleep, barely, and clinging onto Ace, Kris’ alpaca, as he couldn’t get his stuffed bear. When Kris woke Jongin up, he smiles as the boy hugs him tight, with a string of apologizes that the boy could muster.

“Jongin, what did I tell you? You should’ve yelled for me.” Kris whispers.

It was an unspoken rule in the house that whenever a child was in time-out, to call for Kris when it got too much. Only Baekhyun had ever done it, that time when he fell into hysterics and almost threw up on himself.

“Baba… I don’t want DaeDae to hate me.”

“He won’t hate you.” Kris says fondly, and starts to take his child downstairs.

Jongdae pulls on Kris’ pantleg so that Jongin can be set on the floor. Jongin cowers behind Kris’ leg, but only appears when Jongdae holds out a drawing to him. It’s of the two of them, holding hands and their respective teddy bears at their sides. Jongin takes it with nimble fingers so it doesn’t rip or crumple. The boy takes a few minutes to look over the drawing before looking up at Jongdae with teary eyes.

“I wuv you DaeDae!” He cries, and almost knocks Jongdae over with the force of his hug.

Kris and Junmyeon watch with fondness, wondering how they can forget a little argument so quickly. Jongin and Jongdae then spend of the rest of the day by each others side, the elder making sure that he can do whatever to help his brother. Thankfully, Baekhyun was spending most of the time around Chanyeol, and didn’t get jealous of the two like he probably would’ve done if Chanyeol wasn’t there.

Baekhyun and Chanyeol were making masks with each other, ending up getting completely covered with finger paints and glitter that wouldn’t come out of their hair for weeks. Kyungsoo’s been reading for around an hour now, slowly of course. Yixing’s sat crossed legged on the floor, sippy cup in hands and eyes locked to the television. His unicorn is also in his lap, watching intently too. The shows about to end, and Junmyeon watches as he cutely waves back at the bear on screen.

“Lunchtime kids.”

There’s a series of yays and Kris is already carrying Sehun and Tao over to their highchairs. It’s always weird without Minseok and Luhan at the table with them, and Junmyeon can’t help but worry over the fact that Luhan could be getting hurt right there and then. During his time in year 4 and currently year 5, he had always had a bad experience with the school. Minseok got on perfectly, but was always ready to stand up for anyone who hurt any of his brothers.

“Stop worrying about him.”

Junmyeon had Kris wrapped around his waist. When they both look back, the eldest at the moment, Yixing is helping Jongin into his chair, and helping Jongdae sort out his hair that had drooped in front of his eyes.

Kris carried two plates at once, back and forth from the kitchen to the table. The boys all have something different in their sandwiches. Jongin, of course, had chicken, and so did Jongdae and Baekhyun. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo had cucumber and tuna, Tao had jam whilst the rest had cheese and pickles. Except Kris and Junmyeon who had the spicy chicken that Jongin wasn’t able to handle.

When the two finished, they helped the smaller children not to get jam all over them now that Tao was covered in it already. When Kyungsoo knocked over his drink, by pure accident, he freezes, completely terrified that he’s going to get told off. Instead, Junmyeon quickly throws a towel over the spilled orange juice and it quickly soaks up.

Kyungsoo asks if he can go and change, but doesn’t move when he’s let off.

“Soo, you’re not in trouble. It was an accident. Now go and change your shirt otherwise you’ll be all sticky.”

“Okay, Appa!”

Kyungsoo changes his shirt quickly and almost falls down the stairs when he tries to go down them too fast.

“Watch out Soo, slow down baby.”

“Slow down Soo!”

Kyungsoo smiles brightly at the sound of Tao telling him to be careful, and is quick to say he’s okay when the boy is still staring intently instead of eating.

 

A lot of things happen in a single day in the Wu-Kim household. A lot of babbling, playing, and lots of dishes washed. Kris did work, but usually from home. Being an office worker for Minho was a lot harder than he expected, yet the best work he had ever received. They sorted out people’s insurance most of the time, but also helped people with sorting bank accounts. Junmyeon was rich from the day he was born, and inherited a lot of money when both his parents died.

Everyone wondered what he was going to do. Buy a large house with pools and several rooms, or buy an expensive car and never use it.

Nope, he spent a portion of it on his children, and buying new things for them to use once they reached 10 kids. The other amounts he kept save for when they really needed it.

This week and weekend was one of Kris’ spare days when he didn’t have to work, thanks to Minho and all.

So, as was said, a lot of things happened in the Wu-Kim household. Lot’s of tears, lots of fun and games, a few injuries and lots of happiness. Too many games of football, and too many nights of films.

 

That afternoon, was another show of Jongin’s large heart. He tucked himself into a corner and drew everyone a picture or their favourite animal. Okay, so they weren’t perfect, but when each of his brothers and Appa and Baba saw them, they smiled and said thank you, knowing that Jongin tried his very best.

“It’s a kitty!” Sehun babbles when Jongin passes the drawing to him, and Jongin shies away. Tao practically screamed panda at him whilst Kyungsoo whispered that he’d called his drawing of a penguin NiNi, after his younger brother nickname.

Jongin waits for Luhan and Minseok desperately, and wishes that they’d come sooner.

When they do arrive, the twins have never seen anybody so happy to see them. Of course, Jongin got shy and tried to run away, but Kris was there to stop him.

“Baby, give them your drawings.” He says, pushing him forward a little

. Luhan and Minseok both kneel down in the hallway to the same height as Jongin. Both boys have their coats and bags still on, but they don’t care about that.

Jongin slowly passes the two pieces of paper over, the twins smile so brightly. Minseok’s been given a drawing of another cat, whilst Luhan’s is a badly drawn Deer, but its antlers are very sophisticated. What makes both boys almost cry, is the fact that their names are written in Chinese at the top. It’s clearly Junmyeon’s writing, but they realise that it was jongin’s idea.

“Thank you so much NiNi!” Luhan cries and engulfs the boy in a tight hug.

Minseok quickly joins so he’s not left out.

“Come on you two, let’s get your bags off.” Kris says.

“Oh, Baba. Can you help me with something?” Minseok says.

“Of course. What is it?”

“I can’t do my Chinese homework.”

It comes as a bit of a shock, because the twins, alongside Yixing, Kris and Tao are Chinese. But then again, Minseok abandoned the language to learn Korean. But now he needs help with his original home tongue. They both sit at the table, talking through hard Chinese words until Minseok yells.

“WO AI NI GEGE!” Kris bursts into laughter and hugs Minseok.

“Wo ai ni Minseok.”


	10. The last Day

Thankfully, today is the 21st of July, the end of Year 5 for both Minseok and Luhan. Yixing understood, and was jumping up and down with joy that for once, his brothers weren’t going to be sad anymore, and that they could have a lot more time together. He waved goodbye out of the kitchen window, and waited until he couldn’t see them to get down and find Baekhyun to pester or something along those lines. Kyungsoo is happy, because he gets to make cupcakes for his brothers.

Minseok and Luhan walked to school together, backs on their bags and the two books they would be needed for the half day. Luckily for them, their two classes would be meshing together for the last day, and they would either be watching a film in one classroom, or doing art in another. Despite how much Minseok wanted to watch the film, he wanted to stay with Luhan, and so joined in the with art. The teacher looked throroughly done when the twins walked into the room, and they noticed. When they got to the back of the room, Luhan decided they should probably split up.

“Go and watch the film Min, it would make Miss happy.”

Minseok whispers an ‘okay’ and slowly walks out of the room. As Luhan watches him walk away, it makes him feel a little icky, and almost guilty. When he hears the teacher saying to him ‘it was the right decision’ he wipes furiously at his eyes so no tears fall. He was stuck in a room with his bullies without Minseok. They sat on the table with him, and began to talk normally, as if Luhan wasn’t even there, and begin to talk about how weird this Yixing kid was. They were saying how he was always with his dad, and was never acting like a seven year old. If the teacher wasn’t watching them so closely, Luhan would've stood up right there and then and punched them in the face.

Yixing isn’t weird, his Baba promised him that. Neither is Baekhyun. It makes Luhan’s stomach churn a little, despite how he wasn’t feeling sick or anything. He wanted to run and hug his brother, and escape this hell space already. He wanted to cry out for his Appa and Baba.

Luhan doesn’t listen, but slowly raises his hand.

“Can I go and watch the film?” He asks.

“Only if you’re silent.”

 

At the end of the half day, Minseok and Luhan are heading towards the exit, and can hear the bullies behind them muttering stuff about them, and how their going to kick them and hurt them. Minseok only grips Luhan’s hand tighter. They have to walk back now, with these people following him, the entire idea scaring them.

That was until they saw someone in the playground.

“APPA!”

Junmyeon lowered himself to his knees to get ran at by his twins, and almost knocked over. Luhan tried to get closer, which was physically impossible. Junmyeon’s leather coat zip was digging into Minseok’s stomach but he didn't seem to care.

“Heya. How’d it go.”

Luhan whines in response, yet Junmyeon perfectly understands.

“BABA!” Minseok screams, and lets go of Junmyeon’s hand to run behind him and sprint straight at Kris, who’s waiting casually. It takes nothing out of Kris’ strength to pick up the ten year old and smother him. Luhan is happy to see both his parents, but immediately worries.

“Who’s with the babies?” He asks.

“Jonghyun and Minho. We’re gonna go to the zoo tomorrow and their staying over.”

“Awesome!” Luhan yells, and quickly quietens himself when he notices the bullies looking at him.

“Let’s walk home then.”

Hand in hand, all four of them begin to walk home along the quiet roads that lead to their houses. Neither of the twins seem sad about having to leave the school. The worst thing was, the bullies were still following them. Kris seemed to notice how Minseok was uncomfortable, and whisks him up into his arms. Junmyeon does the same with Luhan.

“They’re behind us Appa.” Luhan whispers. Junmyeon repeats what Lu has said to Kris in Chinese, so that whoever was behind them, hopefully had little idea what they just said. Luhan let out a small sob and buried his face further. He was so scared. So scared.

Suddenly, both Junmyeon and Kris darted forward and stuck their tongues out to each other, making Minseok and Luhan laugh loudly at their stupid antics.

“How about we go to the park? Just for a few minutes?” Junmyeon asks.

“Yeah!”

 

Luhan and Minseok raced each other to the park, and both got on the vacant swings. The bullies were still following them, and were now sat on a few benches a few feet from the park.

“Seokkie?”

Minseok looked to his side to see Chenle, and friend of his, and he immediately began to slow down to jump off the swing to greet his friend. Taeyong was running behind him, with his brother Johnny. Luhan stopped to greet them as well.

“We were wondering where you guys went.” Chenle says, fiddling with his backpack strap that was hanging down.

“Did something happen?” Luhan asks, cocking his head to the side a little.

“Not really, but I overheard them saying they were going to hurt you and Minseok.” By the time Taeyong had finished, Jun and Kris were with them.

“Who? Them on the benches?” Kris asks, and little Chenle nods.

“Where do you guys live? We’ll walk you home.” Junmyeon says, and extends his hand to Johnny, who takes it and smiles happily.

 

After dropped off Taeyong, Johnny and Chenle off, they finally head home.

No one had ever seen Kyungsoo so happy to see them, and pulled Luhan towards the kitchen were a range of cupcakes were sat on the table, a few of them neatly decorated by the rest with lots and lots of sprinkles on, which was clearly Yixing’s creation. Even then, Luhan could hear Yixing’s voice in his head yelling ‘sprinkles’ over and over.

“How’s your head baby Lu?” Jonghyun asks when he sees Luhan, and holds him close.

“Better! Look! I got stiches! And I fought back… Minho said that was okay.” Luhan says, pointing to where a funny shaped scar was. Jonghyun shot a glare at Minho.

“Hey! I said punching was fun! And it is!”

“Who have you ever punched?” Kris asks, holding Yixing to his chest.

Minho stays silent, making Chanyeol laugh which made everyone laugh, because god damn was his laugh contagious. Taemin and Jongin were playing bears again, placing plates full of plastic food to each other and then back down on the little picnic blanket someone had put on the carpet for them to pretend on. Taemin has a few crumbs around his mouth, showing that he probably used his puppy dog eyes to get a cupcake. Jongin’s hands were covered in various coloured pen marks, which luckily wasn’t transferring to the teddy bears.

Minseok and Luhan remembered what their teacher had said, about spending time away from each other, and decided to go play with their other brothers instead of each other, which in truth hurt them both. Luhan skips off to help his Baba and Minho with cooking, eventually falling apart and explaining it all to Minho, whilst across the room, Minseok is doing the same into Junmyeon’s arms. They were twins, and something in their bodies caused horrendous separation anxiety within them, even when in different rooms. Luhan’s anxiety was a lot worse. The twins had grew up together in the same horrible environment until they were adopted and found that there were people in the world that cared.

When Minho takes Luhan over to Junmyeon, the twins cry into each others shoulders, begging the other not to leave, and eventually they fall asleep like that. Kris smiles at Junmyeon when he’s stuck with two children who are latched to each other on his lap, and laughs when Junmyeon whispers that his legs are going numb. They thankfully wake up before Junmyeon has to run up and get Sehun, who’s crying because he’s just woken up too.

Now, dinner time with the Wu-Kim family was fairly eventful, twelve people eating at once whilst helping each other. But with five other, making 17 people, they decide to eat on the floor, having chicken, chips and peas. It’s the quietest Jonghyun and Minho had ever seen the family.


	11. Little lost Jongdae

Jongdae is wearing a red raincoat, matching little boots and small gloves that still barely fit his hands, as a storm had made its way into their town. Looking around him, Jongdae could only really see trees and no people. Most of the trees had little doors at the bottom, and his little mind went wild with awe. 

And that's when he realised, Baba was no longer holding his hand. His head shot in every direction, but nowhere could he see a tall male with a blue coat. Jongdae whimpered a little when the rain began to get heavy, and he realised that he was lost. He didn't even recognise whether or not he had walked left or right to get where he was, as he had been babbling about unicorns. Jongdae should probably stay where he was, but instinct made him shelter under a tree. 

Little sobs escaped his body and he wanted to scream for Baba, but nothing came out when he tried. The storm was gradually growing worse, and lightening lit up the sky. Jongdae bust into tears, his eyes producing more tears than he ever thought possible. Maybe Kris had forgotten all about him? His little hands were tightly clenched around the bottom hem of his coat. They were supposed to go to the zoo today, but the weather had turned awful. Jongdae whimpered, remembering how many Yixing and Tao wanted to see the polar bears. 

"BABA!" He cries, and runs out from underneath the tree to face no one in either direction. The rain had already drenched him, making him cold to the bone. Jongdae was so scared, terrified that he'd never go home again.

 

_Jongdae's mother let go of his hand and slowly walked away, aware that he was talking to another two-year-old. When Jongdae turned back, his mother wasn't there, and didn't come back when he cried out for here. He waited where he stood for hours and hours until another woman came and picked him up, explaining that he was no longer wanted, and would take him into her orphanage._

 

Baba had left him. Had he been that naught? 

Jongdae fell into a hysterical state, thinking about how he'd never see Chanyeol or Baekhyun again. How he'd never be able to listen to Luhan play his guitar. How his birthday in two days would just be another day, nothing special. He wanted Minseokkie to come running back and pick him up. 

Jongdae wanted Baba.

 

Kris had never had such a phone call in his life. He called Junmyeon the moment he realised Jongdae was no longer holding his hand. It was his fault for not watching the child, and now he was paying for it. Jongdae would hate him after this. He traced round the park, only finding no soul as the rain got impossibly heavier. Junmyeon was telling him that everything was alright and that Jongdae would be okay, the younger male pushing back his own fear to look after Kris for the time being. He could hear Kris crying from over the phone. 

_The Unicorn_

Jongdae had started babbling about unicorns after he saw the little fairy door on the trees, and that's where Kris headed, knowing Junmyeon was also panicking at home. 

 

Kris saw a red raincoat, ended the phone call and sprinted. 

 

Jongdae turned around to face a blurry figure, and he heard his name being called. 

Kris fell to his knees, ignoring the wet and pain, Jongdae clutching the back of his coat and sobbing into his chest. Kris' large hand was on the back of Jongdae's head, Kris himself was crying, so damn happy that he'd found Jongdae. Jongdae was just scared, holding Baba so tight so that he didn't run away. The two stayed there, sobbing into each other for what must be ten minutes. 

"I love you so much Jongdae, I'm so sorry baby boy." Kris cried, and holds him tighter if that were possible. Jongdae reached up a little, and Kris continued to hold him. 

Getting home was a little worse, having walked from the house. Kris didn't mind carrying Jongdae, the little boy falling to sleep now that he felt safe, and the tears having thankfully subsided. Despite how the rain was still falling heavily, something that could cause a flood, Kris keeps Jongdae close and walks home. Jongdae is so light, and it makes Kris realise how much it hurt seeing him along in that small section of the large green space. Just having him in his arms felt safe. 

Junmyeon almost attacks Kris when they return, but when he notices that they are soaked to the bone, asks if Luhan and Minseok can run him a bath. Kris would probably have Jongdae in the bath with him. Junmyeon hugs them tight, along with Jongdae in the middle of them. Junmyeon attempts to wipe away Kris' tears but there only ends up being more than what he started with. There's a weight on their legs and it's Yixing, who's trying to help them too. 

"I lost him Jun... I actually lost him." Kris whispers, and lets Junmyeon wipe at his tears off the bottom of his chin. 

"Don't cru, he's here now. You can bathe with him, lets go check if Luhan and Minseok are either burning you or freezing you."

 

Jongdae's awake by the time he's been stripped of his soaked clothing that was beginning to chafe. Kris sat in the bath first, letting Jongdae sit in between his legs whilst Luhan and Minseok tried filling the back with more bloody bubble mixture. When they've left, Jongdae lets Baba wash his hair and body with large hands. 

"Jongdae, are you angry at me?" Kris whispers whilst the boy runs his fingers over Kris' wrist tattoo that showed a large dragon curled around the yin and yang symbol, the design that Junmyeon had drawn. 

"Nope, I don't want you to be sad okay?" Jongdae replies, twisting his upper body so he can see Kris' face. 

"I'm not sad, just disappointed in myself for loosing you so easily."

"I'll stay with you!" Jongdae cries, and shoves a rubber duck at Kris face, "Be happy!" 

Kris makes sure no shampoo gets in his eyes with his large hands. 

"Can I get one?" Jongdae asks, and Kris has to look at his tattoo to understand what the younger means. 

"One day, when your older. They hurt. How about we get you those ones you put on with water?"

"YEAH!"

 

The image of Kris crying is still imprinted on Junmyeon's brain, and he finds himself wanted to scream and yell. He'd do anything in the word not to see that again. They both watch as Jongdae and Chanyeol as they watch the rain fall, and they both smile. 

Chanyeol is pointing and Jongdae suddenly jumps up and presses his face against the window. 

"Baba! There's a cat in the rain!" He cries, and points towards the direction with teary eyes. 

"CatCat?" Sehun babbles and crawls towards his brothers. 

Junmyeon quickly dons his coat and ventures outside to gather said cat. 

It's a tiny kitten, literally just fur and bones. Black and white spots of fur all over him. As soon as the kitten is in Junmyeon arms, he can hear its mews over the top of the rain and he slowly takes it inside. 

 

And that's the story of how the Wu-Kim got their little kitten, Button. 


	12. Help?

Chanyeol can't understand the words in front of him. It's simple words that he thought he learnt with Baekhyun and Yixing the other day. Yes, he recognises them perfectly, and could probably copy them down perfectly, but couldn't tell you what they meant. It started to annoy him, as it was probably the simplest thing ever written. He could always go to Yixing to ask him what it says, but that would be giving in to the writings trap. 

Okay, so it was written in Chinese, but Chanyeol had spent what must be forever reading this sentence and rewriting it. 

He was  _not_ going to ask Yixing for help, he was going to do this all by himself. 

 

 

Twenty minutes later, Chanyeol feels furious tears welling in his eyes and he finds himself unable to control them. He wonders, in the back of his head, whether or not his parents are wondering where he is and what he's been doing for most of the day. 

"Chanyeollie? You alright in here?" Junmyeon asks, popping his head through the door. 

Chanyeol can only look up with sad eyes, and Junmyeon returns the worried expression. 

"What's wrong?" He says, moving into the room fully to sit on Kyungsoo's bed, opposite to Chanyeol. The boy passes the piece of card over, with the Chinese sentence written on. 

"I can't read it. I practised so hard yesterday and now I can't even do it." He whispers

Junmyeon lets Chanyeol clamber into his lap and lets him rest there, the boy leaning into the touch. 

"How about we go and ask Baba?" 

"But he's busy Appa." Chanyeol replies, fiddling with the bottom of Junmyeon's sleeve, wanting to put it in his mouth. 

Chanyeol lets himself be led downstairs and past his brothers. He pulls of Junmyeon's sleeve, and asks if he can stay there, so that he can watch over little Button - there new kitten- and watch her play for a while. Sehun and Jongin are asleep in their cots upstairs, and Yixing is reading to Tao and Kyungsoo. Luhan and Minseok are outside playing football with Baekhyun and Jongdae. Chanyeol decides to join them. 

"Yeol! Watch out!" Baekhyun yells and Luhan runs as fast as he can in front of the ball. 

Instead of Yeol getting hit, Luhan takes the hit and it bounces of his shoulder. Minseok and Jongdae ran over too, Baekhyun already near them , to go check on Luhan. 

"Sorry Lu, you okay?" Minseok asks. 

"I'm alright"

Chanyeol hugs him from behind, and whispers a quick sorry. 

"Do you still want to play?" Luhan asks.

"Of course."

 

Junmyeon hands over the card to Kris, who quickly saves the file he's working on and reading the card. He grabs and pen and quickly writes down what it means in Korean, and what each symbol means. Junmyeon understands that Kris is really busy and has a lot of work for Minho, so he thanks him with a peck to the forehead and tiptoes out at the phone rings again. He knows that Kris will probably want a drink, and so he decides to get him a coffee after giving Chanyeol his card back, now that he might be able to understand.

When he finds them outside, he's happy to see Chanyeol playing about, now covered in mud, but even more happy watching Luhan laugh and point as Minseok slips over. Baekhyun got two mud stripes on either cheek, looking like awful war paint. He gets destracted for one moment, when he hears Yixing gasp. 

"I'm going to take over the world with teddy bears."

Only little Yixing could come up with that. Yixing runs past him and almost immediately, Jongdae stops from kicking the ball, incase it goes straight towards him. Instead, they all go towards the excited boy. 

"Can we take over the world with teddy bears?" He asks, "Will you help me?" 

Luhan and Minseok pretend that their thinking over the words, before nodding excitedly too. The six children begin to walk back towards the house, waving when they see Junmyeon. He kneels down to eyeheight with all of them. 

"Go and get changed before you play, and then make sure to include Kyungsoo. Oh, and here Chanyeol." Junmyeon says, giving Chanyeol the card. He looks over it before being able to say the sentence perfectly. 

"Wo Hen Gao Xing." He says, in a perfect accent, and Yixing looks straight at him. 

Luhan, Minseok and Baekhyun have to use the bathroom to get clean beforehand. Yixing and Jongdae are clean, whilst Chanyeol goes with Junmyeon to go and give Baba the cup of coffee. 

When the twins and Baekhyun return, they've got armfuls of teddy bears, forcing Yixing and Jongdae to go and collect theirs too. Chanyeol is about to join them, when he sees a small, upset Kyungsoo in the corner. Chanyeol walks up to him and holds out his hand for the younger to take. 

"Come on! Let's go get teddies!" He says loudly, and Kyungsoo is quick to wipe away his silent tears and run upstairs with his older brother. 

 

Junmyeon and Kris exit the office to the sight of something, purely amazing. 

The entire living room is full of various teddies, each teddy put into sections so the children can remember who's are who's but that still doesn't matter, because most of the floor is covered with them. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo are stood on the sofa, clutching onto each other so they don't fall. Yixing is a bit distracted, but no one cares, because he's talking about how he'd go to the park with the unicorn and panda in his arms. Tao had appeared, with still messy bed hair but that child is not tired whatsoever. 

When Kyungsoo see's Kris stood in the doorway, he yells out something that possible makes Kris' day. 

"IT'S A DRAGON! RUN!" He cries, and all the children yell.

Kris stands there for a moment, a plan beginning to form in his head. 

"I'm gonna get you."

 

Kris runs towards Tao, who screams something intelligible in Chinese and runs into Minseok's arms, who's holding the television remote outstretched. Kris pretends to cower away and whimper. To be honest, Kris finds it fun to pretend he's a dragon. Minseok drops the remote and both boys run, but Kris makes some sort of inhumane growl and runs towards his next target, Junmyeon, just to see what happens. 

"YIXING! SAVE THE PRINCESS!" 

"What! I'm a princess now?" Junmyeon yells, and bursts into laughter when he notices Kris running stupidly towards him. Yixing is by his side in minutes, a teddy bear by his feet and another remote in his hands. Where the hell did these remotes even come from? Kris hisses and flaps his arms/wings, and Yixing cowers a little, pressing his back into Junmyeon, actually realising, he doesn't want to face this dragon. Suddenly, Yixing and the teddy are whisked into the air and begin to run towards Minseok and Luhan who had acquired fake fabric and stuffing filled swords. They begin to hit Kris until he falls to the ground, and pretends to die. 

After the laughter dies down, Kyungsoo runs over to Baba to shake him. 

Kris naturally thinks its part of the game, and stays still. 

It isn't until he hears the boy sob and cry out for someone to help him, does he realise he might have gone to far. 

When Kris does sit up, he sees Kyungsoo sat on Junmyeon's lap, shaking. But Yixing points and points to Kris. 

"Look, Soo! The dragon has turned into the prince! Now he can marry the princess!"

 Junmyeon doesn't seem to mind marrying Kris all over again, if it means he can relive everything he's done in his life again. If getting married again means he can save Kyungsoo from his past abuse, and he can safe Luhan from getting brain damage, then yes...

He'd gladly marry Kris all over again.


	13. Married?! When?!

"Baba?" 

Kyungsoo pokes his head round the gap, him being so small that he doesn't have to make the door wider. His glasses begin to slip down his little nose and he pushed them up before they fall down. The office is quiet, not like the rest of the house. Kris slowly closes the lid of his laptop to look at his son, saving the files he's working on for later on. He nods and Kyungsoo quickly waddles over, giggling loudly when he lifted up and placed on his Baba's lap. His desk is full of random objects and drawings from his children and a really nice picture of the day when they reached ten. Sehun was in the middle, Luhan holding him carefully. That picture took some masterful promises of ice cream. Kyungsoo bounces a little and holds onto the desk so he doesn't slip off. 

"Hey baby boy, everything okay?" Kris murmurs, smiling at Kyungsoo as he buries his face in Kris' neck. In his hands, he holding a small bouquet of flowers and a small pin that Kris recognises from a long time ago, the flowers looking a bit worse for wear, even if they were fake. The ribbon was from his hair, if he remembered correctly, he had worn it in his hair they day they met. 

"I found these, I swear I wasn't being nosy."

"These are from our wedding. If you went and showed Appa, he would be happy."

"Are you married to Appa?" Kyungsoo asks innocently, not really understanding the words, yet understanding at the same time. 

Holding up his ring finger, Kyungsoo is so happy when he sees the golden band around his finger. Both Appa's and Baba's initials are engraved into the gold.  Suddenly, his face falls and he drops the items onto the desk to curl into Kris. Kris immediately holds him close and shushes him before the sobs get louder. Kyungsoo didn't mean to cry, it just seemed to happen all at once in a burst of the moment type of thing.  He pushes him up a little so he can look into his teary little eyes and get a better look. Kyungsoo rubs at his eyes cutely, it's only half eleven in the morning. 

"Hey, hey Baby what's wrong?" 

"You got married and I wasn't there." 

Kris holds in a laugh as he picks the boy up, taking the flowers and pin in his other hand and walks into the kitchen again, where Junmyeon is watching over the children. He smiles so happily and takes Kyungsoo into his arms. The two items are placed on the counter whilst Sehun yells and points at the television which is set on the kids channel. Junmyeon takes the pin and rolls it around in his palm, remembering the day he wore this.  When Kris explains, it makes Junmyeon giggle. 

"Soo, I held these flowers all day, and this pin was on my suit jacket."

"I want to see your wedding..." He mumbles. 

 

  _A wedding in the middle of summer, in the direct centre of Seoul, in the late evening of the cherry blossom festival. It was small, not many people, and Junmyeon resfused to wear a goddamn dress even if Kris gave him the puppy eyes. Instead, they both went with suits, one white, one black. Yin and Yang. They may be opposites but they fit together perfectly. The day when Junmyeon cried whilst he said his vows, the cherry blossoms falling over their heads as they kissed. Their hearts beating as one. If Junmyeon could relive this day in the future, he certainly wouldn't pass the opportunity. Kris was his, and he was Kris'_

_"Wu Yifan, do you take Kim Junmyeon to be your wedded husband?"_

_"I do."_

_"And do you, Kim Junmyeon, take Wu Yifan to be your wedded husband?"_

_"I do."_

_"So, I can now pronounce you, husband, and husband"_

 

So that's how they ended up, recreating their wedding in the middle of the garden. The best thing was, Minho and Jonghyun were up for joining in. Minho decided he'd be the minister, and 'married' them. Both Kris and Junmyeon had found their suits in the back of the closet and made sure that they were all nice and ironed for the ceremony. The children were dressed up their finest clothes, mainly white shirts and some jeans, Yixing having found clip on suspenders. Kyungsoo got to put the rings on a pillow from the living room and carry them down, whilst everyone clapped when they finally kissed. It made Kyungsoo the happiest person in the world to watch their wedding, even if it wasn't the real thing.

Luhan and Minseok took over with the cutting of the cake Jonghyun had bought, and when asked why they went that far, they explained that Onew wanted to see their wedding, and they recreated theirs. By the end of it, Jongin was covered gracefully in cake and Sehun was giggling at him. Jongdae was feeling happy constantly, knowing his birthday was the next day, and that they got married so close to his birthday, even if he had absolutely no clue what marriage was, but neither did Kyungsoo. Baekhyun had sat a few of his teddies around and says that they are guests, smiling proudly when Kris kneels down and thanks the bears for coming to such a large event in their lives.  Tao and Taemin are running around, neither having a single clue as to why, but having fun nonetheless.

To be honest, all Kyungsoo wanted was to see Appa and Baba together, and in suits, and happy all over again. Also, he wanted to see Junmyeon holding flowers, and that would now inspire some of his new drawings.  

That night, Jonghyun and Minho were staying over, and they secretly decided to go to the park tomorrow, without the boys knowing, as a secret birthday present for Jongdae too. He was really turning 7 already!.  Junmyeon slowly lays his body on Kris' letting his head rest on the elder's chest and listening to the constant heart beat. 

"I got to marry you all over again." He whispers, and Kris' chest vibrated with a concealed laugh. 

Yeah, they were definitely head over heels in love with each other, that was clear. 

"You shoulda seen Kyungsoo's face, he was so happy." 

"I wonder why he wanted to see it."

"Maybe cos you looked perfect."

"Shut up."

Kris goes to say something else a few minutes later, but finds that Junmyeon has fallen asleep, and instead of telling the world, he decided the whisper to the world in his arms.

"I love you Junmyeon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've completely messed up the age order by accident, without really knowing, so just imagine that Jongdae was always 5 throughout this and not six. I'm stupid lol
> 
> Also - Sehun is Busted! Total cutie!!


	14. Happy sixth birthday Jongdae!

Jongdae tugged on Kris' hand a little, making him look down at the birthday boy. 

"Can we take Tao to see the panda's?" He asks. 

Kris smiles, he's happy that Jongdae really isn't worried about what animals he wants to see, but how Tao really wants to see these Panda's. Kris had half of their children, Jongdae, Tao, Luhan, Minseok and Sehun. Junmyeon has the other five. Sehun hasn't made a noise in a while, forcing Kris to lean over the top of the buggy to find him suckling on his thumb whilst he rests against the walls of the buggy. Minseok shoves something into his palm and says something he'd learnt over his years. It's a pacifier. Kris walks round to the front of the buggy and somehow coaxes into his mouth, Sehun's little limp arms falling to curl against his stomach. 

"He's so cute." Tao whispers, still holding Luhan's hand very tight. 

If Luhan was excited about the animals, it wasn't as excited about the gift shop at the end, but he knew that it was Jongdae's birthday and had to be good and not ask for anything. Minseok was holding Jongdae's hand, a promise to his parents that he'd not let them get lost. 

"It's a panda!" Tao cries, and pulls Luhan towards the enclosure. The panda's are nibbling on some bamboo and Kris kneels down to around Tao's height, and whispers into his ear. 

"Yep, you look like a panda!" 

"-gasp- Do I? Really?! I'm a panda!" He singsongs, making a barely wake Sehun giggle. 

Tao loved a good panda and laughed when they began to run around. Minseok was waiting so that he could find the tigers hopefully. His eyes were looking around everywhere, almost inspecting people as they walked by. He wanted to get a pair of tiger ears, so that he could pretend Sehun was a tiger. Kris knew today was going to be full of stuffed animal buying, not that he and Junmyeon minded. Jongdae was happy for Tao, but had something he really wanted to see.

"Baba, can we look at the lizards?" 

"Of course, Tao are you ready to go?" 

"Yep!" 

Luhan and Minseok walk slightly ahead of Kris and the buggy, tightly holding hands with Jongdae and Tao so that neither got lost, and Kris was not going to let that happen. He could hear Sehun laughing loudly, but he could somehow tell something might be wrong. When they reach the lizard section of the zoo, they can see Junmyeon inside too. All four children look back at Kris to see if their allowed to run to him. Kris nods and the four go running. Kris takes this time to kneel down at the front of the buggy and smiles at Sehun. The boy whimpers and reached for his Baba's face, gracefully hitting Kris with soft fingers. 

"Hungry?" 

"Hungwy!" 

Kris pulls out from behind his back, and packet of Pombears, and Sehun claps happily. He struggles to get them open and thrusts them back towards Kris, who opens them for him, before getting up and pushing the buggy towards Junmyeon. 

Baekhyun and Yixing have balloons, Baekhyun already untying his so that he can retie it around Jongin's wrist. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo are beside them, dipping their hands into a little pond to stroke some fish. Thankfully, there is a sign showing that they can do this. 

"Baba look!" Yixing yells, and proudly shows his beautiful pink balloon.

Jongdae volunteers to hold the large iguana when it gets to that section of the lizard enclosure. Kyungsoo's hiding behind Junmyeon's legs, Jongin telling Jongdae that he was so brave! The iguana takes a large lick at Jongdae's lower arm and he squeals, quickly giving it back to the zoo staff. He runs back towards Kris who laughs at Jongdae's expression. 

"Does that mean it likes me?" He bravely asks the woman who's holding the iguana. 

"It means he trusts you and likes how you smell." She explains, and Jongdae grins widely. 

 

At the end of the day, they reach the gift shop. Luhan stays quiet, saying that Jongdae can let go and follow Appa inside. Luhan, Minseok and Sehun stay outside. 

Minseok is knelt down, playing with Sehun. Luhan looks up and Kris, and asks an innocent question. 

"Baba, am I allowed to get a teddy?" He whispers and Kris kneels down to his height?

"You don't have to ask Lu, we were going to ask if you two, and Sehun, wanted one anyway." 

Luhan's face lights up and he wraps his arms around Kris' neck. 

"Thank you Baba!"

 

When Junmyeon and his army of children return, Luhan, Minseok, Sehun and Kris walk in. Minseok is walking a little slower, and he's helping Sehun waddle, and Kris saves the day and whisks him into his arms. Sehun points towards a bear, whilst Luhan runs towards a wolf. Once Minseok and Sehun have picked theirs, Kris turns to find Luhan holding a wolf close to his chest. 

"Luhan, is that the one you want?" He asks, and Luhan nods. 

"Can I call is Kris?" 

"After me? If you want too."

 

Junmyeon and Kris are distracted when Luhan hears his name being called. He turns to face three boys, a little way away from him, and he knows exactly who they are. 

"Hey, look! Luhan's got a teddy bear, what is he? Three?" 

Luhan's heart breaks. 

 

In the car, heading towards the Mcdonald's, Luhan finds himself handing Minseok the wolf, and saying the words 'here, can you put this in the bag?'. 

"Why? You've been clutching it this entire time." 

"Is something wrong?" Junmyeon asks, twisting round in his seat, and Luhan meets Kris' eyes in the rear view mirror. 

"I saw the bullies again, they called me a three year old for having a teddy."

"That's stupid! Even Baba has Ace!" 

Jongdae suddenly shoves a lollipop into Luhan's mouth whilst Yixing chucks the wolf to him. Yep, that's over and done with. 

 

Eating in a mcdonald's is so much fun, They had to split up again, swapping who they had in the Zoo in the food place. Sehun cries out when he's taken from Baba, and he ends up sitting on Tao's lap, giggling loudly. They don't make as much as a mess as their expecting them too. But there's a lot of sticky fingers. Tao and Jongdae are sharing some chicken nuggets, their crazy minds making them have names and talk to each other before they eat them. Luhan and Minseok are talking about the tigers, and what they would call one if they had a pet one. 

"Appa, do you think Button is alright?" Minseok asks, leaning forward so that Appa can see him. 

"I think so, you can check on him as soon as we get home, alright?" 

"Yep!" 

Sehun ends up with a toy that made a funny noise, and kept the child entertained somehow for the drive home. Most of them fall asleep around halfway home, and Baekhyun is the only one left awake. 

"Appa, Baba, I cut my knee." He says, and Kris, who's now passenger, twists to see him. 

"Badly?"

Baekhyun lifts up his knees and it is red with blood, but Kris can already tell it's not too bad. From Sehun's little bag, he finds a pack of wipes and a few bandaids that he quickly applies to the youngers knees. He can't really reach, so he kisses two fingers before planting them onto his tiny knee cap. 

In the end, Kris passes out too, head lolling against the window every now and then, and Junmyeon smiles. It's a little while until they reach home, and then the party for Jongdae's birthday starts. He's already invited Minho and Jonghyun, along with Taeyong, Chenle, Mark, Johnny, Doyoung and little Jisung. Baekhyun asked if he could see Taehyung and baby Jungkook, Seokjin and Namjoon saying that they'd love to come. Junmyeon is excited. 

Ten years ago, when he just started university for the second time, he never even imagined the idea of having a child, let alone ten, and now he was celebrating one of their birthdays. 

Yep, Junmyeon's life was definitely going better than expected.

 


	15. The birthday party

Seokjin and Namjoon are the first to arrive at the party, carrying Jungkook and a very sleepy Jimin in each of their arms. Taehyung is waddling by their sides and following Hoeseok and Yoongi as they run to find Luhan and Minseok. Baekhyun's extremely happy to see Taehyung, and latches onto him the moment they make eyes contact. Already, despite being only a year old, Jungkook knows that Junmyeon gives the best hugs, and reaches out to get one. Junmyeon can't resist his cuteness. 

Kris and Namjoon start to prepare stuff in the kitchen.

Well, that is until Seokjin and Junmyeon find them and literally push them out, saying they'll go the cooking.

Unfortunately, Taeyong and his brother's parents can't stay, and so they leave just after dropping them off, little Jisung whimpering as he watched the car drive away but Luhan comes to the rescue, telling him there's a dragon in the back garden. 

Minho and Jonghyun are late, as usual, Taemin and Jongin immediately running off. 

 

And so, the party begins. 

 

Minseok and Luhan invite anyone to play football, Jungkook almost getting hit but Chanyeol saved it just in time. It turned out that Chenle and Taeyong were really good at football, and were even better and being a goalie. Sehun, Jungkook, Taemin and Jisung hang out with the parents, as well as Yixing who isn't doing too well now they've returned from the zoo. It's almost as if his autism had gotten the better of him this afternoon, and he can't seem to get his words out properly. It clear the little boy gets frustrated by the way he can't say something but Jungkook is always giggling, so that makes it better. 

Baekhyun, is nowhere to be seen. Taehyung is looking for him, and accidently trips. They've never seen Kyungsoo and Chanyeol run so fast. They help him up as Dooyoung gets there, and brushes off the boys knees. Kris excuses himself to go and find Baekhyun, finding him curled up next to Button as he slowly strokes her fur, sending her and him to sleep. Kris kneels down to pick him up, and cuddle him close to his chest.

"Are you sleepy baby boy?" Kris whispers as he rocks his entire body to make a hopefully nice feeling for Baek. 

"Baba? Is Baekkie going to bed?" Jongdae whispers.

"Just for a little bit. He'll wake up for the cake."

 

Turns out Baekhyun isn't awake for the cake, too deep in sleep for Junmyeon and Kyungsoo so try. They listen carefully as Baba explains that he might have come down with a small cold, mainly from the way he was shivering earlier at the zoo. The two boys run downstairs to find everyone in the middle of the garden, beginning to sing happy birthday, and the cake was beautifully lit by the candles. 

Kris pushes a sigh Jongdae forward to blow the candles that Luhan and Minseok are holding in almost a death grip. After a while, the garden falls silent as all the boys begin to eat the cake, and the parents sigh in realief that it doesn't end it a large food fight. Kris explains where Baekhyun is at the moment, and Seokjin sighs. 

"Do you want me to check on him?" the elder asks, and Junmyeon smiles.

"I'll look after Jungkook for a while." 

Seokjin passes the baby to Junmyeon, and Jungkook doesn't seem to mind as he points at Kris' tattoo that is on show, and attempting (and failing) to say dragon. It's adorable, and Kris moves his wrist a little closer so that Jungkook can traces round it carefully, as if he was colouring. It reminds them of Sehun, who had done this when they first met him, when he was absolluetely tiny. With that in mind, Kris looks round to see if he can find all nine of his children. 

Sehun was bouncing on Luhan's lap whilst Minseok made faces. 

Chanyeol, Kyungsoo, Kai and Taemin were dancing to the music playing from the music player, often tripping but Kyungsoo was there to calm them and check to see if they were hurt. 

Jongdae was in the middle of Taeyong, Chenle, Dooyoung, Yixing, Tao, Johnny, Mark and Tao, as they played a game of splat

 

Seokjin tiptoed into the bedroom to find Baekhyun curled up around his teddy bear, sniffling every so often and mainly breathing through his mouth. Pressing a hand to his forehead, Seokjin found it a little tepid, and was carefull not to wake him up, which failed. Baekhyun coughed a little into his hand, clearly not sure whether or not to move his hand away or not now. 

Seokjin continued to pick him up when the boy raises his hands, curled up in a burrito. He carried him downstairs where he found some medicine in his bag he mainly bought for Jimin, as they weren't sure whether or not the boy would wake up again, and of course things for Jungkook. It always weird for Seokjin when one of his children actually takes the medicine without fighting or whining over not wanting it, but Baekhyun gladly took it, swallowing it with a scrunched up nose that made Seokjin swoon inside. 

Kris smiles when he sees Baekhyun in Seokijn's arms, and smiles wider when he reaches forward for Namjoon to take him. Much like Jungkook and Junmyeon's little relationship, Baekhyun believes (apart from Kris' and Junmyeon's own hugs) that Namjoon gives the best hugs and smelt really nice. After that, he slept soundly in whoever's arms he was in, and it ended up being Jonghyun who kept him, as Junmyeon and Kris had to return Mark, Taeyong, Dooyoung, Jisung, Johnny and Chenle back to their parents, who wouldn't even come into the garden to say hello, which Junmyeon found funny, but he decided not to say anything, just in case there really was a serious reason as to why. 

Yixing gives up with trying to say the sentance he's attempting, instead he drifts a little into space, giggling to himself when he thinks of something funny. Jonghyun rocks Baekhyun through his little coughing fit. Minseok and Luhan, whilst eating cake, are talking about something that seems a little serious, and they seem to go quieter when anyonr got near them. 

"The parents didn't want to say hello, and didn't even greet their own kids." Junmyeon says once he's returned. 

"I met them once, they didn't seem to care about them at all." Seokjin says whilst passing Jungkook a tiny mouthful of cake.

"I wonder what they were like at school? The kids I mean?" Namjoon questions.

Yixing is waddling over when Chanyeol straight up runs into him, knocking both of them over. Instead of Yixing bursting into tears beacuse he hurt himself, Chanyeol bursts into tears because he had hurt his older brother. Minho and Junmyeon run over, helping both boys up and brushing them off. Chanyeol reaches out for his brother, but Yixing is already throwing himself at Chanyeol to stop the younger from crying. 

 

Soon enough, the party comes to an end, and Jongdae is thanking people over and over for coming. It's adorable really, when about ten minutes after it's over, him and Baekhyun are passed out on the sofa from exhaustion. Yixing soon joins them, and it ends up in a large pile of kids.


	16. Really?

Kris holds Sehun close to his chest, rocking both back and forth to try and get Sehun to sleep. Junmyeon had been asked to a meeting with Kris' company, just to see if he could do some work with Kris on a new project. Kris had managed to get Jongdae to sleep after promising that Junmyeon would return at some point. Why it was so late at night, Kris didn't know. But he also felt bad for Jonghyun. Of course, Minho had to attend this meeting too, and Jonghyun always missed Minho when he was away. 

After getting Sehun led down and tukced into his little cot, the mobile hanging above him singing sweet lullabies, Kris checks on everyone until he's happy that they were all okay. He would usually stay up more and watch come TV, but he might as well go to bed too, as there's nobody to talk to. He's just about to climb into bed, when a small knock on the door startled him. Tao is there, popping his head round the door. All it takes for the little three-year-old to break down is Kris taking him onto his arms, a fatherly instict telling him something was wrong. 

"Baba..." The small boy whines, curling into his fathers warmth

"What's wrong Taozi?" Kris asks, whilst taking a seat on his bed. 

"Feel icky." He sobs, trying to wish it away.

Kris coos and rubs Tao's tiny stomach, frowning a little when Tao sobs openly, coughing wetly. Maybe he caught something from Chanyeol, but his fever was a couple weeks ago now. Tao was very quiet, and liked physical contact, but where he had nine bother, he knew that he couldn't always be the centre of attention. Tao was incredibly smart for a three-year-old. 

Kris didn't mind rocking the little boy, 

"I miss Appa." He whispers, and Kris understands perfectly. 

"I do too baby boy. But Baba's here." 

Tao smiles weakly whilst Kris goes through some of Junmyeon's side drawers to find some liquid medicine for the boys cough. Once he finds it, he decides it would be better to put it in a bottle of millk to mask the taste, and so that Tao actually takes it. Plus, the warm drink would send him to sleep. 

"Taozi, would you like some milk?" Kris asks, wrapping the boy in a small blnaket. Tao simply nods against Baba's chest before coughing again. 

"You can stay with Baba tonight, and then we'll get to see Appa together, yeah."

"Can we go to the park tomorrow?" Tao whispers now that they're in the kitchend, and Kris is heating up the milk. Then he tips the correct amount of medicine and probably too much honey ino the drink. He tastes it before putting the lid on, and it turns out to be the best bottle he's ever made. Junmyeon might kill him for being in the kitchen by hey ho. 

Tao loves resting against his fathers chest whilst drinking from a bottle. He is slowly growing out of the bottle phase now, but still loved it. Kris was reading something and somewhere in time, he began to read it aloud to Tao, and soon led down with Tao fast asleep with him.

 

Junmyeon unlocked the door as quietly as he could, but he still managed to make enough noise to wake someone up. He places his bag on the table and decides to leave it there, but freezes when he hears floodboards creeking from above him. Above the kithcen was Baekhyun's and Yixing's room. So, any minute now he was expecteing an---

"Appa?"

Yixing is stood in the dim light of the kitchen, rubbing his small fists against his eyes and waving cutely with the other hand. Junmyeon leans down to pick him up and lets Yixing snuggle closer. He must've been up and watching for the car to get here. 

"Come on Xingie baby, let's go to bed. You can come with me." 

Junmyeon feels his heart swell when he realises that Kris managed to get everyone to sleep alright. Even when he checked, Sehun and Jongin were fast asleep in their cots. The only one he couldn't really find was Tao, which did struck him as odd, until he tiptoed into their room. 

Tao is snuggled up close to Kris whilst a small light is showing starts across the room. It's Tao's favourite thing to sleep with, and Yixing, who's barely awake, points to them and giggles. 

"It's pretty," He mumbles.

Junmyeon doesn't bother getting changed, and lowers himself into the bed beside Kris, getting as close as he can without waking him up.

Once again, all was quiet in the Wu-Kim household. 

 

Yixing and Tao both woke up first and smiled at each other when he saw that the other was so close. Yixing wigles his fingers into Junmyeon's side and he immediately wakes up by laughing. He grabs Yixing and holds him up high. Laughing loudly, trying not to flail around as he wakes up Kris. 

"You're home." Kris whispers, once Tao and Yixing have run off to get someone and everyone.

"I got home last night. Yixing came to greet me." Junmyeon whispers back and received a small kiss from his husband. 

"I promised we'd go to the park with Tao, he might have come down with a cold."

 

"Tao, you're sick, we can't go to the park." Junmyeon tried for the third time to tell him this, but it's clearly not going to wkr. 

"I wanna go!" Tao yells, stamping his tiny foot on the ground and suddenly, Junmyeon has had enough. 

"Huang Zitao, go and sit on the naughty step. 

Tao immediatly does as he's told, still crying now that he knows what he's actually done. He just wanted to go to the park, but he does know the he'll be alright ont he naughtly step. He hated being called by his full name, and for once he can't seem to smile at the wrong pronounciation of his Chinese name. He would be alright. 

 

Yeah, screw that, Tao is not alright. He can't seem to calm down, plus, both Junmyeon and Yifan are in the office now. 

The other side of the house. 

With a lot of hesistaition, Tao cries out for Luhan, who give in as soon as he hears the cry, and sprints past the office to get to his younger brother. He runs up the few staris and sits next to his brother, somehow getting the three-year-old onto his lap, rocking him back and forth in an attempt to calm him down. Luhan knows this is wrong, and that he shouldn't be here to help, but he can't help it.

When Luhan realises that Tao's not going to calm down, he breaks the unsaid rule. 

"BABA!" Luhan yells, and it's a matter of seconds before Kris appears at the very bottom of the staircase. 

 

At the end of the day, Yifan's watching as all ten of their kids are in the garden, running about in a game of tag. That excludes Sehun and Kai who are sat on the decking on a little playmat with various toys and objects that they could play with. Both Junmyeon and Kris jump up when a tree root sends Jongdae's face into the dirt, but Baekhyun and Chanyeol are by his side in an instant, asking himquickly if he was okay. 

Almost as if it didn't hurt, Jongdae laughing loudly -more like roared- and continued to play the game. 

"How come Yixing was with you this morning?" Kri asks now that the two are sat back down on the sofa. 

"I think he saw the car come in." 

"That makes sense." 

"Have you noticed that Luhan and Minseok have been a lot quiter lately? I'm starting to thing their talking about something serious."

"It can't be too serious Jun, their nine years old."

At that moment, Minseok shoves Luhan and that in turn makes him hit Kyungsoo. 

"Why did you hit Kyungie!" Minseok yells and all Luhan can do is look at his brother in astonishment.

"You pushed me!"

Before Kris can even leave the living room to sort it out, Luhan is walking over to the tire swing, and perching himself on it despute how it's a little wet. Oh well, he can change shorts later right?

"Dinner ready giys, everyone in!" Kris says, and he walks abck to Junmyeon who's picking up Sehun so that he can pick up Jongin. Luhan ignores it compeltely, still swinging a little on the tire, eyes slwoly drooping shut with tiredness. Junmyeon ends up running over to catchin him as he almost falls off the swing where he had fallen asleeo. 

Junmyeon couldn't help but while a little at how Luhan curled up him his arms, like he used to do as a small baby. 

"I'm gonna put Luhan to bed, I'll be back." Junmyeon says, and begins to climg the stars. 

 

After everyone else is asleep, Luhan sneaks downstairs to seek comfort in his fathers arms. Kris doesn't mind pausing the television so that Luhan can have some time. They both are smiling until Luhan whimpers and wipes his eyes of stray tears. Junmyeon hitches him up furthur so that both can look into his eyes. 

"Appa, I want to go back to school."


	17. And Now The School Days Begin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry Luhan! It will get better for him I promise!

_"Appa, I want to go back to school."_

 

 

 

"Luhan, care you sure? I mean you've gotten hurt because of the school." Junmyeon says, gently stroking Luhan's hair as the boy sits on his lap. Kris can't tear his eyes off of the boys face, just to watch how his expression changed within the conversation. 

"I don't know. I'd barely get to see my friends, and plus, Minseok wants me to spend less time near him. We can't spend our lives together." He whispers. 

Why did Luhan always have to be right?

"Luhan, baby, you can't say stuff like that unless you're completely serious." 

"I am."

Yifan opens his arms and lets Luhan fall into the, ,curling up against his chest. 

"I'm not scared about school, just scared that... Minseok will hate me for leaving him." Luhan whispers. 

Junmyeon and Yifan both share a look of confusion that was laced with sympathy. Luhan wasn't even thinking of himself, he was thinking about his twin brother who he loved so dearly. So that's what they were talking about so seriously. Both parents had also noticed how they'd been fighting more often, but never really took notice, as there were parties and missing children in the midst of it all. 

"Wu Luhan, you have to promise me that you are sure about this. You've got two weeks until you go back , and I need you to be sure about this." 

"I am sure." He replies, holding up his little pinky finger. 

 

 

Two weeks later, and Junmyeon is making sure Luhan has his entire school stuff ready. He had his books, pencil case, his tiny stuffed giraffe and his football team application. Yifan hands him his lunchbox and tell shim not to open it until lunchtime. He knows that Yifan has to work today, and almost tells himself no, but Luhan still tugs lightly at his fathers shirt. 

"What's up? Nervous?" Yifan whispers, zipping up Luhan's coat and helping him out on his hat. 

"Can you walk with me?" Luhan mumbles. 

"Of course I can, just let me tell Appa." 

Yifan returns quite quickly, holding his sons hand as they walk down the road. Luhan looks up at Yifan a few times, really wanting to tell him that he really, really, doesn't want to go back to school, but knows its his fault this is all happening. 

"Luhan, do you have your keys?" Yifan asks once they reach the playground where a few other parents were standing. 

"No Baba."

"That's alright, everyone will be home, so just ring the bell, yeah?"

"Okay!" 

"Be good, Luhan, I'll see you later," 

Luhan waves shyly, looking around to try and find Taeyong, who he could probably stick with the entire day. Instead, he sees Daesung. He only recently found out his own bullies name from Chenle who mentioned it at the party. Luhan turns to find Minseok to tell him, but no ones there. 

"Hey! Luhan!" 

The boy mentioned turns to face Taeyong and runs towards him, smiling brightly as he crosses the playground. The boys are balanced on the wooden play beams. They talked for a small while until the bell rung, and that's when Luhan's hell began. 

 

 

"Was luhan okay when you were walking?" Junmyeon asks, placing down the files that Yifan had requested whilst holding a sleeping Jongin. 

"He seemed alright, but then again I guess he was hiding it." Yifan replies, turning his attention to his phone that was currently ringing. Junmyeon smiles and takes his leave, finding Yixing holding a book up to Kyungsoo, who points at the pictures and names the animals with a perfect pronunciation. 

Baekhyun and Chanyeol were back to back, mostly leaning on each other as they read too, whilst Sehun was playing with the cars spread out across the floor. He's wearing a bear onesie, and Junmyeon swoons over how adorable he looks. Tao is looking out of the window, too entranced in the outside world to care. Jongdae is sat with the cat, who had grown a lot since they found her, and she was rubbing her head against his palm and making him giggle. 

Junmyeon looks at the time. Still three hours until Luhan was due to get back, and he hadn't heard anything from the school, yet. It had him on edge for the entire day. He jumped a little when he was hugged from behind by Yifan. 

"Hey, don't worry about him." He whispers, but they both know they can't stop worrying. 

Minseok comes down the stairs whilst carrying his football, and gently taps on Chanyeol's shoulder, who looks up from his book. 

"Do you wanna play football?" He asks, and his parents just watch the interaction.

"Have you finished your work?" Yixing asks, looking up too, as Chanyeol puts down his book. 

"Yeah, sped through it." He replies, handing the football over. 

"What about goal? Luhan's not here so." Chanyeol asks, putting on his shoes and trying to unlock the door, of which Baekhyun rubs over to help him, twisting the key until they all hear it click. When most of them are ready, Tao suddenly stops them. 

"What about Sehun?" He asks, and the entire group look at him, suddenly aware of his presence. 

"Chanyeol ,go and grab the playmat whilst I grab the toy box, yeah?" He asks, and Chanyeol nods enthusiastically, running down the stairs into the basement where they kept the things for outside play. The others wait until those two return with Sehun's stuff before they set it up outside. Minseok comes back in, leaning down to pick up Sehun, who is lighter than expected every time he picks him up. 

 

 

Luhan finally finished all the equations and raises his hands, turning the teachers attention to him as she walks over. 

"Luhan, I understand that you miss your brother, but you can't change the names in the questions to theirs." She says, with a very deadpanned face. Luhan quickly looks back to his book where he really has changed all the names to his brothers. 

"For that, you'll be in afternoon detention." 

Luhan simply nods, annoying himself more than anything else. He's messed up so much today, and not even in his behaviour like he usually would be. He just missed his parents. When lunch did come around, he ended up sat on his own in the classroom, guessing no one else had gotten detention that day. When he opened his lunchbox, he smiles brightly at what Baba had put inside. Inside was, of course food, but a small note that hid a tiny box underneath. 

The note wrote.

Have a good day Luhan! We miss you, kiddo!

Luhan made sure to keep the note safe inside of his lunchbox and opened the small box. He almost burst into tears the moment he opened the box. 

A new pick for his guitar. 

 

 

Junmyeon and Kris go outside a few minutes after the kids did, now that Jongin was awake and can play with little Sehun. Once they were also sat on the decking, they watched as they played football. Suddenly, Kyungsoo stopped moving with the ball and simply pointed at Sehun.

The tiny one-year old was slowly standing up, using the chair beside him as a stabilizer. Yifan was quick to pull out his phone and start the video. 

"Come on Sehun, come to Appa." Junmyeon says, and almost screams when Sehun's tiny, tiny socked foot moves forward in front of the other. Junmyeon holds out his arms, ready to catch Sehun if he fell. 

"Come on Sehun! You can do it!" Baekhyun and Yixing yell at the same time, jumping up and down with excitement. 

Sehun keeps moving his feet and without really knowing, takes his hands off of the chair. He looks up at Junmyeon who's still holding out his arms and makes it his mission to get to him. Yifan's holding one hand over his mouth, the other still holding the phone that is still recording. Slowly but surely, Sehun walks, actually walks, towards Junmyeon, who whips him off his feet and spins him round tight in his arms .

"Well done Sehunnie!" He cried with happiness. Yifan ends the recording on the children running towards him, football completely left alone and forgotten about. 

But still, in the back of Minseok's mind, is his twin, who missed this awesome moment. 

 

 

Luhan hears the bell ring, and stays still for a moment, trying to find his football application form. Once he finds it, he hands it to his teacher, who gives him a funny look. 

"Luhan, remember what happened last year, you didn't want to do football anymore." 

"I do now, and I'll gladly do it." He says and the teacher simply shakes his head and turns away from him.

Finally, he decides to leave, and takes a back route home, one that he rarely took that made a path through the forest. It was a bit out of town, so that no one else really knew about it. 

He quickly plasters on a fake smile before ringing the doorbell and waiting until someone answers the door. 

"Luhan!" Yixing cries once he finally unlocks the door and opens it, Junmyeon and Yifan walking behind to come greet him too. 

"How was school?" Yixing asks gently, eyes large as he searched for anything wrong. 

Whilst taking off his coat and hat, he kneels down to eye height with Yixing. 

"It was really fun. I think Jimin and Taehyung are in the school now, but I didn't see them." He lies, only about it being fun, and Taehyung was probably in the school.

"Okay, but we have a video to show you." Yixing says, and points the phone towards Luhan, who watches intently and smiles brightly as he watches Sehun take his first steps, when deep inside he just wants to cry. 

The one day he's not at home, Sehun walks to Appa. 

 

Luhan doesn't mention anything else about school, just joining in with the drawing and colouring until bed comes around. He says goodnight to everyone and skips off, wondering how bad tomorrow can get, and thinks it can't get much worse, until he hears Junmyeon on the phone. 

_"What do you mean exactly?"_

_"He got detention today, on his first day."_

_"Because he got in a fight?"_

 

What? Luhan was never in a fight...

Oh god, the school just wanted Luhan to get in trouble.

For something he never even thought of doing. 

Before Junmyeon gets off the phone, Luhan sprints to their bedroom, knocking on the door and praying Yifan is still awake. Yifan opens the door and gets an armful of Luhan immediately, quickly having to calm him before his sobs woke up the entire house. 

"Baba, I didn't get in a fight, don't listen to the school, please Baba." He whispers, before making his way out of Yifan's arms and walking towards his own bedroom. 

All before Junmyeon gets off the phone.

 


	18. Yixing's Birthday

"Yixing, what would you like to do for your birthday?" Junmyeon asks one Saturday morning when all the boys are eating breakfast. Kris stifles a laugh when Yixing looks around, clearly thinking deeply about the question he's just been asked. In all honest truth, he had no idea, as there was so many things that Yixing liked to do. 

Slepp, eat, draw, colour, play with blcoks and teddies, all sorts. So there wasn't really one thing that Yixing liked to do best. Reading of course would be on that list, but his mind couldn't work out half the words in the books, and half the time he couldn't even concentrate on the book for long enough to read it. That was out they found out he had Autism in the first place. 

"Seaside." Yixing suddenly says, and Kris and Junmyeon twist to look at him. 

"You'd like to go to the sea? But it's winter baby." Junmyeon says, and Yixing's face drops in realisation. 

"I don't know then." Yixing replies, quickly distracted by Sehun who almost drops his crayon if it weren't for Minseok's quick response. 

 

For the rest of the day, Yixing was in a state of deep thinking, aware that he had absolutely no clue as to what he wanted to do for his birthday, now that the seaside wasn't an option. Sure, they could go indoor swimming, but Sehun, Jongin and Chanyeol couldn't swim. They could go to the park but Sehun caught too many illnesses from other kids. They's already been to the zoo with Jongdae's birthday. Yixing wasn't good with too many people, so parties weren't really his thing, so that was crossed off his mental list. Maybe he should just tell Appa and Baba that he didn't want to do anything. 

In the end, all this thinking made Yixing desperate for sleep, and so he crawled over to where Kris was sat on the floor and into his lap. Button was being taunted by Tao and Luhan with a piece of yarn, and the cat seemed to be enjoying itself so no one really got told off. Yifan helps Yixing get comfortable, and reaches over for a blanket to wrap him in. The most adorable thing is the way everyone goes quiet, even Chanyeol, to make sure that Yixing can sleep alright. 

His brother loved him dearly. 

"Yixing, did you think about your birthday?" Kris whispers, Yixing shaking his head in reply. 

Junmyeon takes the boy off him, and carries him upstairs to bed, where he can fully realx and get rest. The second Yixing's arm comes in contact with his teddy unicorn, he's bringing it closer to his chest whist Junmyeon tucks him in. He studies the boys sleeping face, and frowns at how concentrated he looks, despite how he's fast asleep. Leaving him upstairs, Junmyeon goes to find his husband, who's spinning around with Sehun tightly in his arms. 

"Kris, we need to get an answer from Yixing." He says, picking up a very sleepy Baekhyun, who's mindset is completely everywhere. Junmyeon's quick to put a pacifer in his mouth and try and get him into a nap. 

"I know, but Yixing might not want to do anything at all." 

"He was thinking all day Appa. That's why he's tired." Minseok says from his seat beside Luhan, who's still writing about something, Minseok saying it was histroy. It was clear that he wasn't enjoying himself, but who enjoyed homework anyway?

Baekhyun claps his hands at something behind Junmyeon's back, but he seems to quieten down even after that. Junmyeon begins to bounce the littl eboy in his arms, and it only takes a few minutes until Baekhyun's breathing evens out, and Luhan finally stands up, walking over to his backpack in the corner and putting his homework inside and ready for the day after next. 

"Yixing really wants to go to the sea." Luhan says, whilst making sure his bag was definatly ready. 

"He told you?" Kris says. 

"Yeah, but he knows that we can't go. I suggested a party but he simply said no." Luhan replies. 

Kris lets Junmyeon pass Baekhyun to him, and starts to climb the stairs to take Baekhyun to bed and check up on Yixing. Him and his husband would definately have to have a serious talk later on, about what to really do for Yixing's birthday. 

Baekhyun almost melts into the duvet and pillow when he's placed on the small bed. The bed was for three to four year olds, but Baekhyun being smaller than usual, he was able to fit on it, and so they decided to keep it for their younger children too, although they already knew that Chanyeol, Sehun and Jongin would be tall little shits, as well as Tao. 

When Kris returns, the clock is just striking two in the afternood. They had spent so long playing with their children that they had almost lunchtime. They leave the kids in the living room was the kitchen was conjoined, and they could still watch them with eagle eyes, and began to make something for lunch. 

"Maybe we should risk the seaside?" Kris says, looking towards his husband who's sat on the counter, looking through some cupboards to find the cheese sauce he's brought during the week. 

"Yixing did seem excited when he first thought about it, and he's been thinking all day without an answer." Junmyeon says, chucking the sauce as Kris who barely catches it. 

"Then that's what were doing, but it'll be a secret."

 

Three days later, it's Tuesday and Luhan had been called in sick. Of course, it was a lie, but Luhan seemed overly happy with the fact he got a full say off without anything wrong. It triggered a hint of worry in Junmyeon's mind, but the fact that today was Yixing's birthday was quick to overtake that thought.

Yixing was dead to the world when he woke up, resting against Kris as they all piled into the van. Thankfully, they had woken up early so they get down to the sea without any flaws. As Yixing was asleep, Junmyeon took this time to tell the kids what was going on, and they were all ever so happy, and each of them made a pinky promise NOT to tell Yixing if and when he woke up. they drove mostly in silence as most of the little ones fell asleep whilst the twins played a game together on the Ipad. 

They arrive at the seaside at around half ten, and Kris is the one to make sure that Yixing doesn't see where they are, by tucking him close to his chest and whispering to keep his eyes shut. 

When they are all prepared, Yixing's allowed to open his eyes. He's stood, star struck as he stares at the beautiful water, even if the air was cold. He spins on his heels to look back at his Appa and Baba before crying out a thank you and hugging their legs tightly. 

The first thing the family do, is pull out their things for the beach, making sure to keep somewhere near the van incase they needed to take cover from the large rainclouds above. Yixing was quite alright about the fact they weren’t allowed to go and have a dip into the sea, because of how cold it was. 

Together, they watched as boats went past and people with dogs. When lunch time came around, Yixing chose to get mcdonalds, like a small birthday ritual. Jongin was the unfortunate person to get to close to the water when the tide came in, and was splashed up the front with water, making him shiver and burst into tears. Yixing and Luhan carefully walked back with him, waddling up the sand to get to their fathers. Junmyeon leans down and picks Jongin up, cradling him close to his chest. 

Minseok sits with Sehun and Baekhyun as they use some buckets to make multiple sandcastles and turn them into a small sandcastle village. Minseok leans over to pass Sehun a little bag full of shells that he had collected during the day, letting their youngest sibling choose what shell would be the window of their largest castle. 

Sehun pulls out one that’s a tinted pink and he seems to study it for a moment, before thrusting it into Minseok’s face for the elder to put on the castle. It stays exactly where Minseok put it and Sehun giggles. 

The rest of them, including little Jongin and Tao, were playing tag, keeping it at a slow pace so that the younger ones could catch up. When Chanyeol also falls over, he manages to get sand in his mouth, and he struggles to get it out. It’s only when Yixing points it out, does he realise that he’s bleeding a little. 

All in all, the day is perfect, Little Yixing smiling all day long as he chases various flocks of seagulls away from the sea edge and giggling when he tackled to the ground with hugs and kisses from his big and little brothers. 

He loves it. 

Once they are home, most of them are asleep, which gives Junmyeon and Yifan times to cook something for Yixing. Whilst said food is in the oven, they all sit around to watch as Yixing opens his presents. From his parents are a couple of new check shirts that he loves instantly, and some more colouring books and more pens. From his brothers are more stuffed unicorns because he totally needs more. From Jonghyun and his ensemble is a new pair of headphones that were for kids, because they all knew how much Yixing loved to watch things on their shared tablet. 

For Yixing, it’s the best day of his so far short life. He hugs his parents for the rest of the night, and sleeps thoroughly.

“Goodnight Baby boy.” Yifan whispers as he turns off the light, and steps into the hallway, pulling the door to as he does so. He turns off the hallway light and walks to his own bedroom, where Junmyeon is already asleep after tucking in Sehun and Tao. 

“Goodnight Jun.”


	19. Poor LuLu

It takes a full two weeks until Luhan comes home crying. 

Let’s tell the story up till then. 

 

Jongin waves goodbye to Luhan with a bright smile on his face, but pouts a little when he didn’t wave back. Jongdae was also there to witness this, and he immediately turns to gather Appa’s attention. 

“Luhan didn’t wave.” He says, and Junmyeon looks towards the door. He sighs a little, picking up Jongin and setting him down in the playpen with Sehun, where they were safe from hurting themselves whilst they were alone for a few minutes. Junmyeon couldn’t even leave them for ten minutes without turning into a mother duck and worrying about her small ducklings.

“Appa, should I go and read?” Jongdae asks, putting his plastic plate into the sink carefully, aware that Junmyeon doesn’t look too happy. 

“It’s okay Jongdae, go and do what you want, yeah?” Junmyeon says gently, ruffling Jongdae’s hair and watching as a large grin shows. 

“Thanks Appa!”

 

Junmyeon knocks on Yifan’s office door quietly, hoping that he wasn’t on the phone and could talk for a while. He waits for Yifan to say he can come in to open the door and slip inside. 

“What’s up?” He asks, and Junmyeon walks over to sit on the edge of the desk.

“Luhan’s been getting in fights, the school calls me practically every single day.” Junmyeon says, looking away from his husband. 

“What? But Luhan wouldn’t ever hurt a person, would he?” Yifan whispers, immediately closing his file he’s working on to look and Junmyeon, holding both his hands tight. 

“Of course not, but why would the school lie. Luhan’s more likely to lie than anyone else.” 

“Oh Jun, maybe he should get Jonghyun. Remember he’s the psychologist here.” Yifan says. 

“I don’t think he needs a psychologist, but someone, you know, who’s not us.” 

“Okay, I’ll get in touch. “

 

Luhan had NOT been in a single fight once this school year, and it have only been three weeks. Every single thing he did was wrong to the teachers, and even his friends were taken away from him. He couldn’t concentrate on homework, because he was scared of what the next day would bring. Minseok hadn’t spoken to him once in the last week after an argument. When he was pushed into the lockers and punched in the stomach, it was his fault for being different. 

In fact, he was staying away from every single person who actually could this year, but always managed to end up alone with his bullies, who’s intentions hadn’t changed whatsoever.

Even if he went into secondary school and into year 7, where the people were so much older, there was more things he could get wrong and more ways he could get in trouble. 

The school had finally had enough when his teachers made the mistake of saying something awful about autistic people. Luhan had yelled at her, and that was the end of everything. Well, not really, because he was sent to the office to see the headmaster with Daesung, the boy who kept hurting him. Which of course he did, shoving him into the toilets and destroying most of things inside his bag. Then he got shouted at by the headmaster,.   
And so, after two weeks of pretending to be strong, Luhan walks home in tears. 

 

He carefully unlocks the door, and slips in, but still doesn’t get away without someone noticing. Jonghyun is standing in the kitchen, both talking about food when Luhan gets in, and they both turn to face him. They could hear Luhan’s small whimpers from the hallway, and decided it was time to make a change. 

“Luhan?”

The boy freezes and looks up at Yifan, eyes glassy with tears and fear. 

“Come here baby.”

Luhan no longer cares about being strong, crying softly into Yifan’s shoulder whilst Jonghyun rubs his back. Yifan and Jonghyun share a look, and they both sigh a little, almost glad that Luhan wasn’t okay, so that they could know what happened in full detail. When the phone rang, Luhan flinched and both men notice. 

Jonghyun ends up answering, but freezes as he watches Luhan move his hands over his ears. 

He was terrified about what the call was about. And Jonghyun seemed a little more scared when it was the school. Yifan quickly takes Luhan into the living room where Minho and Junmyeon were. Neither said a thing when Yifan entered, but at the same time wanted to tell the little boy that he meant the world to him. Kris feels that he’s shaking, and begins to worry worse, if that was even possible. There was no way in heaven that Luhan could hurt someone. 

“Baba, I didn’t do anything wrong, I promise.” He sobs, and tries to curl up, but Yifan can’t let him. 

“I know you didn’t do anything wrong, but please tell us what’s wrong.” Yifan whispers, rubbing Luhan’s stomach but he sobs out in protest and pushes his hand away, and that’s where Junmyeon came into play.

“Luhan, are you hurt?” 

There’s not point in him even lying, so Luhan nods and reaches out for Junmyeon, who gathers him into his arms. 

There’s a sudden burst of yelling and it’s Minseok, who just came down the stairs after washing his hands from falling over in football. He runs over to Luhan, and holds his hands gently. 

“LuLu, was it Daesung?” He whispers, tears forming in his eyes. 

Luhan nods and points to his bag that Yifan had put on the floor next to the sofa.   
“He broke everything.” Luhan whispers, facing away from his brother. 

“I’m gonna take Luhan upstairs and see where he’s hurt.” Junmyeon says, and Yifan nods. 

 

Upstairs, Junmyeon lays Luhan down on his and Yifan’s bed. He gently strips Luhan of his school jumper, shirt, tie and shoes. Luhan’s stomach is littered with bruises, further showing that he got into fights. 

“Luhan, why must you fight?” Junmyeon says. 

“I haven’t fought anyone! I promise!” He sobs, trying to wipe away the tears that only make more. 

Junmyeon leans down to kiss Luhan’s cheeks to calm him down, and it works to an extent. 

“Then how did you get all of these bruises?” 

“Daesung, he was the boy from last time.” 

Junmyeon rubs some sort of ointment into Luhan’s soft stomach and places a kiss on each of the bruises, making Luhan giggle loudly.

 

Downstairs, Minho and Jonghyun are listening to the phone call, both noting down things of what had happened after Jonghyun stated that he was a psychologist and wanted to know what Luhan’s record looked like. Thankfully, the person calling had all the information at hand and proceeded to tell him everything they needed to know. 

Yifan was tightly holding Sehun when Junmyeon returned back with Luhan. Minseok was quick to take Sehun from him so his Baba could run and encase Luhan in a hug. After around half and hour, Jonghyun and Minho walked into the kitchen, with what could be enough information to ruin Luhan’s life, but before anyone could say a word, Luhan let it spill out, with enough tears to flood a country. 

“I didn’t do anything wrong! All I did was be myself! I didn’t even want to go to school, but Minseok doesn’t like it when I’m around so…” Luhan sobs into Junmyeon’s chest, his little feet rubbing together to cause a burning friction. 

“Luhan, I can already tell that the information from the school is wrong, because I know you better then they do.” Jonghyun whispers, “ And Minseok loves you being around, just struggled because you’re growing up.”

“But..” 

“No buts Luhan, you’re our angel, and I know you wouldn’t lie to us.” Minho says, checking the time afterwards. 

“You should go pick up Taemin and the others.” Kris says, and Minho nods. 

“I’ll be back with them.”

 

After that, Jonghyun listens to every single story Luhan has to tell about his school days, and feels his heart clench as he listens. He knows more than anyone in Luhan’s own family what Luhan’s school life was like. He knew that Luhan wasn’t lying, and that the school was just…

What was the school even doing?

If he reported them to the authorities, something must happen, right?

They were telling lies about an innocent child.


	20. Luhan's Sensory Overload

The tipping point is Luhan's first sensory overload. 

 

Luhan used his keys to unlock the front door and let himself into the house that was surprisingly quiet considering it housed ten kids. Today, Yifan was the one waiting in the kitchen, but Luhan really didn't want to talk to anyone. At school, it had been incredibly loud, with a long assembly and too many loud kids that were nothing like Luhan, and it had hurt his head. It reminded him of what Yoongi had once said about Spider-Man, and how he had enhanced senses, making him stronger but weaker at the same time. 

Of course, Luhan doesn't mention this when Yifan asked how his day had been, he just lied and said it had been fine, missing the look that Yifan gave when he didn't believe him. 

"Do you have any homework?" Yifan asked, keeping his voice down after noticing that his eldest son had been wincing at the loud noises from the pan that Yifan was currently putting away in the cupboard. 

"Just a little bit. English and Maths." Luhan mumbles in reply, smiling when his Baba places a plate of cookies and a glass of milk in front of him. 

"Go do that then baby, then we can have dinner." 

 

Luhan's hands are already trembling by the time he got upstairs, both feeling awful exhausted. He barely manages to put the food and his bag before his collapses to his knees and crawls into the furthest corner of his bedroom. Just as he does this, he begins to feel like Spider-Man, like his senses are suddenly enhancing, and he can hear absolutely everything around him. 

The horrible squawking of birds outside, his brother playing games downstairs, his parents putting away the cutlery. The lights and the natural sunlight is suddenly harsh and he clenches his eyes shit to the point where it double's his headache. Even the carpet beneath his hands is burning his skin and they begin to hurt even as he clamps them over his ears to try and block out all the noises he can hear. 

It's horrible. 

He's not even aware of the thick tears that are falling out of his clenched eyes, sobs escaping his lips alongside heavy breaths that aren't really doing anything to bring in any air. He can't tell how much time has passed, but all he does know is that this isn't going away whatsoever. 

Junmyeon walks into the living room to get Minseok, who's tickling Yixing. 

"Min, can you go get your brother?" Junmyeon asks, and Minseok's quick reply is to run upstairs and into the bedroom. 

He pauses the moment he's steps in, watches Luhan curled up in the corner crying. And he's running back down to get his parents. 

"Appa, Baba! Luhan's crying! Somethings wrong!" 

Junmyeon and Yifan freeze. Yifan's the first one to get to the bedroom, crying out Luhan's name upon seeing him, but immediately realises that that is a terrible idea when he's flinching violently and trying to press himself further into the two walls that make a corner behind him. Yifan holds out his arm to stop Junmyeon from running in, and puts a finger to his mouth to signal for his husband to keep somewhat quiet, then gets him to ring Minho and Jonghyun. 

God that couple must get so annoyed with them. 

"Go and get me a blindfold or sleeping mask." Yifan barely whispers, because he knew exactly what this was. He makes sure that Minseok knows to look after the kids downstairs and to make sure they kept as quiet as possible. Thankfully, he knew they would listen to their other eldest brother. 

Yifan has to be quiet as he steps into the room, drawing the curtains and turning off the lamp that Minseok had previously turned on. He's thankful for the winter sun going down earlier in the day. 

Yifan knees down, and takes Luhan's hands within his own, and away from his ears and head that he was digging short nails into, just as Junmyeon gets back with the sleeping mask. Yifan makes his husband chuck it across the room and is quick to get it over Luhan's eyes, then moves his own hands over Luhan's ears, them working a lot better.

The little boy relaxes within moments of being plunged into pure, comforting darkness, and blindly climbs his way into Yifan's lap, where he sobs loudly into his shirt. He can just about hear both his dad's shushing him over the beat of his pulse and Baba's hands. Yifan slowly takes his hands away. 

"You're okay. Luhan, I need you to do something for me, just quickly." Yifan says, once his sons sobs have calmed down just a little, him still buried as far as he can get into his lap. He hates the way Luhan flinches when Yifan peels the sleeping mask up. 

"Can you tell me five things you can see?" Yifan whispers. 

"The carpet. Your hand. The..., "He has to stop to cough and breath heavily, whining at the hand that's rubbed along his back, "The bed. And my bag. And a bright light."

At the last one, Yifan pulls the eye mask down, and Luhan practically melts in his lap. Junmyeon comes in, silently sitting beside them. Luhan is still buried far into Yifan's lap, barely able to keep himself up. 

"Luhan, can you tell me four things you can touch?" Junmyeon whispers. 

The both watch as Luhan's hand moves towards Yifan's arms where his tattoo lies, and Yifan smiles at the words that fall from Luhan's lips, that have thankfully regained their colour.

"Baba's scar. The floor. Baba's trousers."

Luhan stops again to reach up and run a strand of pink hair through his fingers, "My hair."

"Good boy, You're going really well." Junmyeon whispers, taking one of his hands into his.

"Tell me three things you can hear." 

"Everything." Luhan whines, still slightly sensitive, but forces himself to answer anyway. 

"My pulse. A car outside. Kyungsoo crying." 

Yifan and Junmyeon share a look because they can barely hear that, but it is a sensory overload, so they understand the heightened senses.

"Okay. Two things you can smell."

"You. And Appa."

The husbands smile brightly. Yifan slowly peels away the eye mask, and Luhan no longer flinches, just raises his fist to rub at his eyes, and curls his arms around Yifan's neck. 

"Lastly, one thing you can taste." Junmyeon says, waiting for this to stun Luhan. 

"Blood."

"Huh?!" Yifan quietly yelps.

"I bit my lip."

"You're such a good boy Luhan." Junmyeon replies, kissing the little boy on the forehead, who smiles tiredly and lays his head on Yifan's shoulder. 

 

When Yifan and Junmyeon return downstairs with Luhan, Jonghyun and Minho are there, which both Yifan and Myeon knew, but not Luhan. The little boy smiles and reaches up to wrap his arms around Minho's neck, who's knelt down for that purpose. Minho smiles at how light Luhan is, and takes him into the kitchen where Junmyeon is beginning to load up his laptop for a take-away. 

"What would you like?" Minho asks, and Luhan has to twist round in Minho's arms to work out what they are on about. 

"Pizza?" He asks, and Junmyeon nods 

"Pizza it is!"

"What would you like on it?" Junmyeon asks as he clicks the drop down menu to select what they wanted on it. From behind them they hear, Yifan, who's carrying Sehun. 

"Meaf!" Sehun yells,throwing his hands up onto the air. 

"Okay. Sehun wants beef. Luhan, do you pepperoni?" 

"Roni!" Sehun yells again, making Luhan laugh. 

"Yes Appa! Lets get roni!" Luhan laughs out, causing his parents to laugh too. 

Junmyeon orders two normal pizzas without anything but cheese, one peperoni and one beef. He puts the laptop away and they all gather in the living room. Luhan is so tired, but knows he has to stay awake for dinner, but that really does fail when he's passed to Junmyeon, who's cuddles him with a blanket and basically forces him to fall asleep. 

Luhan closes his eyes and curls up again into Junmyeon's body, and he very quickly falls asleep. Yifan smiles, and gently strokes the hair away from Luhan's eyes. 

"That must've taken enough energy out of him." 

"Was he like that all day?" Jonghyun asks, concerned even more so for Luhan now. 

"No, but he looked tired when he got in from school. I'll ask him when he wakes up." Yifan said, Jonghyun and Minho nodding as Taemin runs to catch up with Yixing, both using small blankets as capes. 

"I really do think you should pull him out." Minho says, both parents humming in agreement. 

"I don't understand why he wanted to stay. But if he does, he'll get worse, and I know what worse feels like." Junmyeon says as Luhan stirs again. 

He whimpers a little, slowly waking himself up, but he does feel better at least. 

"Did I miss dinner?" He whispers, but all four men shake their heads. 

"No, it hasn't arrived yet, but can we ask you some question Lu?" Yifan asks, waiting for Luhan to nod before asking. 

"Do you like school?" Junmyeon whispers, Luhan freverently shaking his head in response. He hates it. 

"Then why did you want to stay?" Minho asks. 

"Because of Minnie. Everyone wanted us to be apart, so it's better to make me sad then everyone else right?" Luhan whispers, looking outside to where his twin brother is playing with Chanyeol and Baekhyun, the three of them chasing each other with plastic swords. 

"Wrong Baby Lu. You can't make yourself sad because others want to be happy." Jonghyun says. 

"But it's better though! Minnie gets to stay with his brothers and he doesn't get bullied at all! I'd rather be hurt than him." Luhan says, voice shaking as tears fill his doe brown eyes, threatening to spill down his face almost gently. Yifan reaches a hand across to run his thumb just under Luhan's eyes to disperse the tears. 

"And I'm sure Minnie would rather he gets hurt than you. Luhan, you can't put yourself through this anymore." 

There's a long silence after Yifan's words, Luhan staring off into the distance as he tries to focus on his brothers playing, before he whispers something the other have to strain to hear. 

"I'm like Spider-Man." He whispers, and Junmyeon cocks his head to the left in half amusement, half worry. 

"What do you mean?" 

"He hears things that a lot of people can't right? So it must hurt his head. My head hurt earlier because things were too loud, and too bright." 

"That's called a sensory overload. It means all your senses are being put through too much." Jonghyun says in a way that Luhan can understand. 

"But you were brave, and your really strong too Luhan." Yifan says, "So in a way, you are Spider-Man."

And that makes Luhan smile brightly. 

"Luhan, do you want to leave school?" Minho asks him, to which Luhan nods. 

"Only if it makes everyone happy." Luhan replies. 

"Which it will."

 

When dinner arrives, Yixing runs in to get it with Junmyeon, handing the money over to the nice delivery lady, who complements his cape. Yixing is overly happy after that, and runs off with a thick red blush on his cheeks. 

Chanyeol and Minseok are helping Sehun eat, alongside Kyungsoo who helps pass out the plates to everyone. Jongin tries a bit of pineapple off of Junmyeon piece, after he changed the order to get one with ham and pineapple, making everyone laugh when his face contorts into a sour face. So, Jongin doesn't like pineapple. 

Luhan is sat next to Minseok, both of them talking about something that the parents aren't listening to, but they all smile upon watching the twins finally laughing together like they used to when they were a lot younger. 

 

That night, Yifan and Junmyeon sleep happily, knowing that the next day, and the next, and forevermore, will be better than the last.

 


	21. Uh Oh Cheerio's

Junmyeon woke up earlier than usual, to the sound of heart-breaking cries. He wasn’t aware of it at first, but when he was, he was throwing back the covers and rushing into the hallway, where he began to locate the sound properly. His heart dropping to the pit of his stomach when he realised the crying was coming from the nursery.

  
He wasn’t even surprised when he found Sehun still fast asleep, as he slept through practically anything, but was stunned and a little frightened when he found little Jongin crying, still somewhat asleep, but tossing and turning. Junmyeon slowly leaned over the sides of the crib, and raised Jongin to his chest, where he gently began to bounce and rock them both. Jongin was still in his bear onesie, making Junmyeon wonder if he had gotten hot during the night, and slowly unzipped the front and peeled it off.

  
Jongin didn’t stop crying even after his skin had cooled down.

  
Junmyeon put a cold hand to Jongin’s tiny forehead and sighed himself when he found the little boy was burning up. Colds like this didn’t really affect Sehun that much, but poor Jongin got them practically every other week.

  
When he finally woke up, Jongin whimpered out a small ‘Appa’ and snuggled as far as he could into Junmyeon neck, breathing hot puffs of air against his skin, still calming down from sobbing so hard. Junmyeon brings Jongin downstairs quietly, attempting not to wake anyone else up, and prays silently that they had some medicine that Jongin would be able to take.

  
And did they?

  
No.

  
Junmyeon tried not to swear loudly at the emptiness of their medicine cupboard, but still carried on making two bottles, one for Sehun too, as he would be awake soon too. He makes a third one just in case Tao was feeling like he wanted one too, which he probably would. It didn’t bother either parents that Tao was a little younger than he should be, because Yixing and Baekhyun were exactly like that too, although Baekhyun didn’t like the feeling of it.

  
Thankfully, Kris had woken up once he heard the kettle going off, and had come downstairs carrying a very sleepy Sehun and Minseok behind him. 

  
“I wondered where you’d gone. Is something wrong with Jongin?” Kris asks, swapping the children over so he could hold their very little Jongin, who’s got his eyes closed now, content.

  
“He’s got a cold, and we’ve got no medicine.” Junmyeon sighs.

  
“Let me get Sehun and Kyungsoo ready. I can walk them down if you like, get something for lunch too.” Kris says, and Junmyeon smiles.

  
“You’re the best.” Junmyeon smiles.

  
“I’ll make sure Sehun’s fed and everything. Should I wake up Luhan too?” Kris asks, setting Sehun down in his high chair whilst absentmindedly sorting out the boy’s hair.

  
“Leave him. He had a tiring day yesterday.” Junmyeon replies, and Kris nods.

  
“I’ll get him something special.”

  
Junmyeon gives Kris a little peck on the cheek, thanking him again whilst he holds the bottle up to Jongin, who takes it instantly between his lips, only pulling off to cough violently and whimper against Junmyeon’s shoulder, the two parents sharing a worried look.

  
Kris lets Minseok and Yixing feed Sehun, as they had both been taught how to do, but Junmyeon watches over them anyway, but they never did anything wrong, having done it enough times by now. Kyungsoo got ready beside Kris, running between the two bedrooms getting his various items of clothing ready.  
Him and Sehun were still ready before Luhan even made any move to wake up, not that anyone minded. Chanyeol and Baekhyun had taken to a game of tag in the back garden, not minding the cold or that fact that it was a short lived game because of the mud.

  
“Kyungsoo, do you have a hat and gloves?” Kris asks through the door of the bathroom, as he had also been tasked to help Tao and Jongdae brush their teeth.

  
“Umm… I can’t find it!” Kyungsoo yelps back, after pulling out Sehun’s little yellow coat and hat.

  
Somewhere in the same closet, is Kyungsoo’s hat that had little ears on either side to make him look like a bear of sorts. Kris was little excited to go into town with the two boys, as he rarely go to do so. It was only Tuesday, and they went grocery shopping on Thursday.

  
“Baba! I can’t find them.” Kyungsoo says sadly, letting Kris pick him up under the armpits and holding him close, large hand running up his back.

  
“We’ll find them. Did you get Sehun’s?”

  
“Yep!” Kyungsoo raises the items of clothing into the air, and almost dropping them.

  
“Good boy.”

 

 

 

 

  
After finally, finally finding the hat and gloves in the very back of the cupboard, they manage to get Kyungsoo fed and Sehun’s changed.

  
Sehun doesn’t give Kris a fight as they strap him into the stroller, and put a small blanket over him, just in case it was closer than Kris was anticipating. Minseok had gotten Kyungsoo sat on the second step from the bottom, and had tied his shoelaces for him. They also had a bag tucked into the bottom of the stroller, which was just there for Sehun and Jongin, and rarely Tao. The only things in the bag they used for anyone else were the pacifiers for the days either Baekhyun or Yixing were struggling.

  
Kris made sure that Sehun was tightly strapped in before saying goodbye to everyone, getting jumped on by Baekhyun, who gave him lots of goodbye kisses.

 

“Right,” Kris says as they got to the outskirts of the large town, “We need to get some medicine, lunch and something special for Luhan.”

  
Kyungsoo jumps up and down with excitement, still clutching the handle of the stroller so that he doesn’t get lost or separated from Kris. Kris would constantly make sure that kyungsoo and Sehun were both with him, even though Sehun was trapped in, as the fear of doing the same as he did with Jongdae too big. Kyungsoo didn’t know about that, but listened to Kris when he asked to not let go.  
They slowly make their way towards the large convenience store in the very middle of the town, Sehun falling asleep with the motion of the stroller. Internally, Kris winced everytime the stroller went over a little bump or dip in the pavement, but Sehun doesn't wake up a single time, making his worry useless.

  
“Baba, what are we getting for lunch?” Kyungsoo asks, moving his grip to Kris’ arm as they step into the shop.

  
“I’m not sure, how about sushi? Do you like sushi?” Kris asks, and Kyungsoo smiles brightly, nodding crazily.

  
“And we need to get something for Jongin.” Kris replies, pushing the stroller towards the medicine section, Kyungsoo the one finding the brand that they usually got first. Sehun takes it from Kyungsoo so he can put it in the basket whilst Kris looks around for another packet of medicine for the older children, just to stock up. He then pushes the stroller towards the section of sushi, but Kyungsoo has an idea.

 

“Can we make sushi?” He asks, and Kris kneels down.

  
“Do you think Appa will let us?” Kris asks jokingly, and Kyungsoo nods his head so much that his hair falls into his eyes that slipped from underneath his hat.

  
“LuLu can help too!”

  
That then reminded Kris that he needed to get something for Luhan, as a present for being so brave.

  
When they begin to get the ingredients, Kris hands Sehun each and every one of them, and he puts them into the basket that Kyungsoo’s holding with both hands. In the end, Sehun falls asleep again, hugging the blanket tight to his chest, resting heavily against the side of the stroller. Kris smiles at the sight, and Kyungsoo keeps quiet for the rest of the journey round the shop.

  
They look around for a while, wondering what to get for Luhan, until they find the perfect thing. Sehun was actually the one who saw it, still sleepy when he pointed to it, but Kris knew it was the one.

  
Sehun had pointed to a row of necklaces but the one Kyungsoo picks up is special.

 

“It’s like Appa’s!” He says, and he’s right.

  
It’s a St.Christopher, and Kris explains to the two of them, even if Sehun can’t properly understand this, that this necklace was to help with safe travels. And they were right, Junmyeon wore one everyday, and never took it off, not once.

  
Back at home, Jongin is still fast asleep, cuddled up to Junmyeon’s chest whilst swaddled in a blanket that Luhan had bought down with him. Luhan had also fallen asleep next to Minseok on the other end of the sofa, legs intertwined and feet sticking into Junmyeon’s thigh.

  
Jongin, however, really was not getting better, despite how it was now the middle of the day. He began to pray that this wasn’t another incident like Chanyeol’s. Baekhyun and Chanyeol came running in, with Jongdae and Yixing in tow. They went to yell out but upon noticing Jongin still asleep, they fell silent and made their way upstairs. Tao on the other hand, was playing with lego intently on the coffee table, murmuring quietly to himself as he made the lego minifigure fly around the city he’d built over the last hour. Junmyeon watches as Tao makes the figurine swoop down to capture a lady, whilst a dinosaur stomps its way into the city. Junmyeon smiles brightly when Tao shuffles backwards and puts the figures down, beginning to build another

brightly coloured structure out of bricks.

  
Yixing had wanted to play with Tao, but didn’t want to bother him, as he looked happy playing by himself, and so he plopped himself next to Baekhyun with a book in his hands, ready quietly to the younger as they he fell asleep. 

Jongin coughed as loudly as his small body would allow, and that’s when the front door opened, but only Tao could be bothered to move. He ran to his Baba, smiling brightly as he was given the shopping bags to take into the kitchen and put down.

  
Junmyeon got up as slowly and as carefully as possible, not waking up Jongin thankfully. Kris was already messuring out the correct amount the boy would need to take.

  
“I’m sorry I took so long.” Kris whispered, gently waking up Jongin.

  
“Jongin, can you take this for me.” Junmyeon says, and Jongin’s jaw unhinges immediately, face not even scrunching up at the disgusting taste that the medicine leaves behind.

  
“I’ve got stuff for sushi, and something for Luhan. Ask if Chanyeol and Baekhyun want to help me cook. “

 

And they do.

  
Chanyeol cooks the rice in two large pots, stirring them until his little arms ache and watches Baekhyun and Kris cut the pieces of fish to put into the seaweed rolls. Baekhyun’s arms begin to ache too, but thankfully, the sushi is ready to be assembled. Both boys watch in awe, as well as Sehun who had joined them, as Kris rolls the sushi perfectly. Sehun claps his tiny hands once their done, and Kris takes bow for himself as everything begins to sit themselves around the table to eat.

 

Thankfully, Jongin’s cough and sniffles calmed down enough for them to put him in his own cot for the rest of the night, but they were still aware that they might have to give him some more medicine during the night. Sehun has passed out too, snoring lightly by the time they’d laid him down too. Luhan was the only one who stayed up a little later with his parents.

  
“I got you a present Luhan.” Kris says, bringing out the small bag from the stroller.

  
“Really?” Luhan puts his teddy down to kneel on the sofa, looking over the back to watch his baba.

  
“Close your eyes, and I’ll tell you.”

  
Luhan clenches his eyes shut, and waits until he can hear Baba’s voice again, from right in front of him.

  
“I want you to wear this for the rest of your life, just like Appa does. It will protect you to both ends of the earth.”

  
Luhan opens his eyes and smiles brightly as the necklace, now aware that Baba has his hanging over his shirt, and so does Appa.

  
“I didn’t know you had one Baba.” Luhan whispers, against Kris’ chest after they’d put it on him.  
“I do… I need you to thank Sehun tomorrow. He found that for you.”  
“I will Baba!”

 

 

The next day, Jongin is way better than before but Sehun now has the cold.  
And they’ve never seen Sehun so grumpy before.


	22. Poor Little Yixing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe this chapter could be somewhat triggering, so here is a trigger warning. 
> 
> Contains suicidal thoughts and mentions of suicide but not in detail.

Yixing... 

Wu Yixing is such a wonderful boy. Such a wonderful seven year old who's mind could wonder and be amazingly smart at the same time. He loved the idea, and dreamed of becoming a dancer, and by the looks of it, Jongin might too. He could tell you the entire preiodic table off by heart on some days, others, his mind wouldn't get past Helium. He struggled with pronunciation and some days couldn't get a sentance out without having to string it out a few times in his head, and by then, he didn't want to say it anymore. 

He once won and award for reading out a poem at the local library, and Kris and his husband couldn't be more proud of the picture hanging in the hallway from that day. 

Junmyeon and Kris are in the kitchen, cutting open the oven baked rolls so that they coud spread the butter and put the rest of the filling in. Junmyeon finishes cutting them for Kris and tends to making something easer for Jongin and Sehun to eat. They both didn't realise that they had left the television on, until Yixing appears on the stool on the other side of the counter, hodling his teddy bear close to him. 

"Appa, what's suicide?" Yixing asks innocently, stumbling over the pronunciation of the words. Kris stops for a second to process the question, Junmyeon already um-ing and ah-ing over how to answer said question. 

"It's... How to put this... Suicide is when a person kills themself, and they die. How come you ask?" Junmyeon says simply, in a way that he hopes Yixing can understands, whist watching as the cocks his head to the left. 

"I saw it on TV... Why would someone do that?" Yixing replies, taking a minute to understand fully what his father had said, but it's somehow making perfect sense in his head, exept for why. He understands that concept of death after one of Junmyeon's cousins passed away, and he asked Appa why he was so sad. Junmyeon had explained carefully, and Yixing had sympathised with him, and they both cries together. 

"Why? Because sometimes, people can get incredibly sad. So much that it hurts." Junmyeon says gently, and Yixing thanks him quietly, Minseok turning off the TV behind them as Kris tells him to.

For the rest of the day, Yixing's quiet, which wasn't particularly unsualy. he asks nicely to use Luhan's tablet, and he googles the word 'suicide', unfortunately having to work out how to spell it right by himself. 

It takes him a while to find a apge that isn't blocked by the parental locks his fathers have set on Luhan's tablet, but he does find a page that puts the whole word and meaning into perspective, and he reads that for a little bit. After a small length of time, he understands it perfectly, but his mind still can't get around, is why. 

Why would someone want to die?

His mind suddenly flits about before focusing on Luhan, after thinking back to what Appa had said earlier, that someone gets so sad that its hurts. He watches Luhan run around in the garden with Baekhyun and Minseok, Chanyeol somewhere in the trees, and he finds tears are fighting their way into his vision. 

Luhan was sad, right?

Did Luhan want to die?

A gasp escapes his lips, and he clamps a hand over his mouth to try and muffle it before Appa hear it, and decides it would be better to go and see Baba. He can't tell them that he looked it up, otherwise he'd be in trouble, so he's deciding to go with the lie that he's tired. 

Which works. 

Yixing stumbles his way into Baba's office, tears overspulling in large quantities as he knocks gently, letting himself in. Kris is on the phone when he enters, and he moves to walk back out, but Kris sees him before he can leave. Upon noticing the tears a few beats later, Kris is hanging up on who is presumably Minho, and rushing to collect his little boy. 

Yixing sobs loudly into Kris' shirt, and Kris just holds him, his heart breaking over the sound of his cries. Eventually, both mentally and physically, Yixing is exhausted, resting heavily against Kris, arms limp either side of Kris' shoulder, and face buried into his shirt. Kris gently wipes a tissue over his nose to avoid getting to much snot on his shirt. 

"What got you so wound up huh?" Kris whispers, pressing kisses into Yixing's mop of black hair, and Yixing whimpering in return. 

"Are you tired baby boy?" Kris' deep voice rumbles againts Yixing's own chest, and the feeling makes Yixig melt furthur into his arms. 

Yixing nods, feeling guilty deep down at his lie, but it's way easier this way than to explain through tears why he really was crying. Yixing closes his eyes, and thankfully,exhaustion catches up with him, and he's falling into a troubled sleep. 

 

 

He's awake for dinner, climbing between Minseok and Luhan to eat their curry. Kyungsoo's explaining in amazing detail about the book he just finsihed reading. He talks animatedly about how a certain fight scene went down, and Tao seems happy enough to giggle and clap at all the funny sounds Kyungsoo's making to represent what's happening. 

Luhan helps pass over various foods to Yixing, the younger thanking him quietly, afraid to talk to him a little. 

Yixing smiles weakly at the conversation, soon being the first one to finsih his dinner after Junmyeon and Kris. Baba keeps an eye on him, refilling his drink before Yixing could finish it anyways. When it got to bedtime a few hours later, after a rather uneventful day, Baekhyun and Yixing team up to request a bedtime story, but as Junmyeon is settling Sehun down, it's Kris' job to read. 

He reads them Peter Pan, and old childhood favourite that he'd one day like pass on, creating voices for extra effect that has the two of them tiredly giggling from beneath the sheets either side of him. It's a slightly longer book to that of what the children are used to, and so, Kris promises that he'll read it to them either tomorrow during the day or as another round of bedtime stories. 

After saying goodnight, Baekhyun's falling asleep rather quickly, snoring as he drifts deeper into sleep world. 

 

 

 

At one o'clock in the morning, the stairs at the top are creaking. 

Kris looks up from his phone to the stairs, eyes trying their hardest to djust to the darkness. On his left, Junmyeon is fast asleep against the arm of the sofa. As Kris looks up, he spots someone, he can't tell who, trying to duck behind the pillar on the stairs. He slowly gets up as to wake up Junmyeon. He gets to the bottom of the stairs, and looks up to find Yixing sitting there, his unicorn hiding most of his face. 

"Hey baby," He whispers, climbing up to gather Yixing, "What are you doing up so late?" 

Kris can't get angry at him, not unless there was a true, bad reason to this late night awakening. 

"Something's wrong Baba." Yixing whimpers, small fingers twirling the small necklace his father wears between them. 

"What do you mean?" Kris whispers, taking Yixing into the kitchen where they can sort of talk without the risk of waking up Junmyeon, but his husband had some sort of sixth sense when it came to children. 

He sits Yixing on the counter whilst making a hot drink as quietly as he can to get Yixing tired again. He sets the numberon the microwave to a few minutes before retuning back to Yixing, where he runs a large hand over his head and swipes back some of the boys unruly hair. Yixing's still squinting at the bright light of the kitchen. The only thins he notices is off, his how Yixing's breathing seems ot be hitching, and they was he's not looking at Kris in the face at all. 

"I looked up that word." Yixing mumbles, returning to his unconscious fidding with Kris' necklace, eyes on the chain. 

"Which one? The one we taught you at lunch." Kris asks gently, and watches as Yixing's brown eyes are filled with tears. Junmyeon's suddenly beside them, holding, Yixing's other hand that isn't troubling with the jewlery. Yixing nods, pulling both hands away to wipe at his eyes, rubbing them until they're red and sore from friction, and Kris takes him back into his arms. 

Yixing apologizes quietly, but starts to thrash and kick the moment Kris takes him near the staircase, the idea of being left alone with his thoughts being terrifying, and watching Yixing kick, makes Junmyeon tell Kris to stop and sit them both on the sofa. 

"Why are you apologizing Yixing?" Junmyeon whispers, after Yixing continues to say sorry. 

"I googles suicide." He sobs, and Junmyeon almost winces. 

"That's okay Yixing, we're not angry." Kris whispers. 

"It's not that!" Yixing shouts back, dissolving into more tears as he realises what he'd just done. Kris rubs both hands up and down Yixing's back to calm him, but before they can tell him to calm down furthur, Yixing's spilling everything 

"You said that sad people did suicide, so what about Luhan? He's sad and I dont want Luhan to die! And... And I was thinkig 'bout it and I thought that I could, but I don't wanna die Appa!" Yixing sobs. 

Junmyeon's crying by the time Yixing finishes, because essentially, what's he'd said had triggered Yixing's incredible mind to think awful things. Upon hearing that Yixing had thought about doing it himself, Kris tightens his grip on Yixing's whole body, tears spilling from his own eyes. 

"Yixing, I need you to look at me." Kris says, and Yixing looks striaght into his eyes. 

"Baba, please don't cry! I'm sorry!" Yixing sobs. 

"Shh, Yixing.... I love you, Yixing, I love you so much. And so does your Appa and your brothers. We love you to the stars and back. Luhan is going to be okay, and you know that deep inside. It's okay, Yixing." Kris says, tears rolling down his cheeks as he talks to Yixing, who's still crying, but a little calmer now. 

"But I'm not normal, am I?" Yixing whispers, and Junmyeon finally sobs, taking Yixing in his arms and holding him close. 

"No one in this family cares, whether you're normal or not Yixing. Autism is a common thing and even Baekhyun has it. So, I don't want to hear you say that again, okay? Junmyeon says, and Yixing nods. 

"And no more thinking about bad things, yeah..." Kris adds on, and Yixing nods again. 

"I'm sorry." He mumbles, buring as far as he can get into Junmyeon's shoulder, slipping his thumb into his mouth whilst his parents wipe their eyes. Kris leans into his husbands, creating more a surface for Yixing to rest on whilst Junmyeon leans over to grab the blanket from the back of the sofa.

With the warmth of his parents, and the newfound information that his parents aren't angry, Yixing's falling asleep within ten minutes of being wrapped up. His thumb slips from his mouth, but Baba's there to slip a pacifer into his mouth that he sucks on gently. 

"Jun, are you okay?" Kris asks, quietkyl and his husband looks at him whilst taking his hand. Kris' wedding ring catches the light from the kitchen and Junmyeon smiles. 

"How did we raise such a wonderful boy? He's so worred about Luhan." Junmyeon whispers back, and all Kris can do is gently kiss him. 

"I don't know how we did it, but we did. He should sleep with us tonight." Kris replies, bridal carrying Yixing to the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Junmyeon to turn off the TV and pour the forgotten drinks down the sink. 

Yixing lays in the middle of them, still wrapped up in his blanket with his unicorn tight against his chest, and the only thing that creates any form of light, is Yixing's glow in the dark pacifer. 

Just as the two fathers slip to sleep, they hear a very muffled, 'I love you Baba, I love you Appa'

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Yixing to piece, both old or young. He's a wonderful child and I didn't want to do this, but for the stories sake, I thought I fit in quite well.   
> I'm sorry to all those who cried during this chapter, because I did.


	23. Holdiday Part One

“I was thinking, “ Kris says one night, al the kids in bed, and his laptop open on his lap, “ That we should go on holiday.”

 “Where were you thinking of?” Junymeon replies, blowing on the noodles before he puts them into his mouth, having missed dinner by accident due to a mis-calculation on how much food he’d cooked, and he wasn’t going to take any from his husband or children. He didn’t mind at all, but Kris had insisted on cooking the spicy ramen for him. Junmyeon moves up a little so he can see Kris’ laptop screen, which is currently on google maps.

 “Maybe Jeju? There’s a few things we could go down there, and Minseok might want to take his camera.” Kris suggests, and Junmyeon’s trying his hardest not to snort into the food.

 “You mean you might want to take you camera.”

 The tips of Kris’ ears burn bright red and he smiles sheepishly, Junmyeon having to cover his mouth as he laughs, due to the time of night it was. Junmyeon leans into his husband.

 “We just need a place that’ll fit all of us.” 

 

 

That leads us to now, where Yixing and Baekhyun are running around in their coats in the back garden, Chanyeol having just come back in from joining them, panting as he checks his coat for any mud before sitting on the sofa. Kyungsoo's reading again, Kris having bought him a new series of books that he'd asked for very nicely, and Kris was always up for buying books. Jongdae's sat on the stool nearest his fathers, talking quietly to his dinosaur, who seemed happy about the holiday too.

Kris and Junmyeon were trying to work out how to put all of the suitcases in the car, considering the fact they would have two strollers in the boot of the car with them, and they took up space even when folded.

"Listen, you can put one underneath Jongin's and Sehun's legs, and I'm sure the twins won't mind having to put there legs up, and they're not exactly tall." Kris says, splitting the four suitcases up.

"Will two fit in with the strollers?" Junmyeon says, cursing the fact that they needed four cases.

"Yeah, I think they will."

Luhan and Minseok come downstairs wearing their coats too, matching ones because they liked to show off that they were twins. Sehun's in the play pen, putting the large building blocks together as Tao watches intently. The cats being looked after by Taeyong, who's now eleven, older than the twins, who'd asked the other day when he came round who was doing it, and he said he could do it. Junmyeon quite liked Taeyong, but didn't like the bruises he sometimes had. They had given him a key and said just before and after they went to their holdiday camp the cat would need feeding.

Jongdae moves to watch Kyungsoo as he traces under the words in his book like he usually does.

"I'll go put the suitcases in if you don't mind filling the kids in on the drive." Junmyeon says, taking two suitcases to put in the main hold of the van. It had four rows of three seats, and Luhan and Minseok always sat at the back, then behind them was the luggage.

Kris kneels down, Jongin using him as a pole to keep himself steady on his feet as Sehun curls up in Baba's arms. The others had moved in front of him as he waited for Baekhyun and Yixing to lock up the door to the garden, hearing it click himself.

"Okay, so it's a long drive, about four hours, but we will stop if anyone needs a wee. We have snacks in the car so let us know if you're hungry. Has everyone got something to do?" Kris reels of what Junmyeon had told him, and smiles when everyone hold sup what their going to do.

Luhan's holding up a half finished rubiks cube and his twin is holding up a puzzle book and pen. Kyungsoo's holding his book and Jongdae has his stuffed dinosaur in the air. Both Yixing and Baekhyun are holding colouring books, both of them holding a singular, absolutely stuffed pencil case between them. Chanyeol's holding the tablet that would probably be passed around but he would watch it for the most of the journey. Sehun and Jongin would probably fall asleep. Tao's holding his stuffed lion too, but he loved to watch the world go by in car journey's, and so he'd be alright.

"Jongdae, would you like to sit in the front with me and Appa?" Kris asks slowly.

"Is that okay?" He says shyly, and Kris nods.

"Of course it is. Bring Dino with you then"

Junmyeon returns to help Kris get Sehun, Jongin and Tao strapped into their seats, Tao only having a booster seat. Sehun gives a little fuss, desperate not to sit in the seat, but when a singular lolly pop is appearing in front of him, he's calming down and letting the seatbelt be strapped across him. Junmyeon unwraps the sweet and lets him take it. Chanyeol sets himself down next to Yixing as Kris straps him in. Tao sits next to Luhan, hugging his lion tight.

"Baba, I can't do mine." Chanyeol says sadly as he struggles to get it round him without the tablet falling of his lap.

Kris clicks him in, and kisses his forhead before watching as Chanyeol puts in his earphones.

Thankfully, Jongin and Sehun's feet barely touch the suitcase, and Luhan and Misneok don't mind their knees being up to house the luggage in with them, and Tao's legs can rest on top anyway, Junmyeon checking four or tive times with them. Baekhyun and Yixing actually use a dinner tray for colouring, Yixing colouring the left, Baekhyun colouring on the right. Despute how Kyungsoo planned to read, before the engine was even turned on, his eyes were growing heavy. Junmyeon tucked a blanket around him, and whispered that it was okay to sleep for a little bit, and he leans to rest against the side of Jongin's car seat.

Jongdae ever so shyly asks if he can sit in the middle, and Junmyeon picks him up, climbing into the passenger seat with him, and sitting him in the middle of him and Baba. Dino sits on Jongdae's lap, the little boy hugging him with the same arm that has a thumb in his mouth, mainly to calm him. Long drives weren't really his thing. He watches the world go by, sometimes asking about things that they pass, like water towers and radio towers.

 

About an hour into the drive, they hear a small Appa from someone. Junmyeon sits up and looks round, to find Chanyeol looking up at him, twiddling his thumbs.

"What's wrong Yeollie?" Junmyeon asks.

"I need the toilet." He says, blushing a little bit, as he knew he should've gone before they left. Junmyeon looks back at Kris to ask how long it'll be till the next service station.

"It's about two minutes away Chanyeol, can you hold it?" Junmyeon says, and Chanyeol nods confidently. He's so glad that no one's angry that he didn't go beforehand.

"Baekhyun, can you pass this to Kyungsoo if he's awake? Then get him to pass it to Appa please?" Luhan asks, holding the finished Rubiks cube to Baekhyun, who reaches over and gives it to Kyungsoo who woke up to the mention of his name.

"Kyungie, please gives this to Appa!"

Kyungsoo small arm reaches forward to thrust the cibe in the gap in front of him, and all the three in the front see, is a cube appearing, and that made Jongdae giggle as he takes it, giving it to Appa.

"Well done Luhan! I'll mix it up for you." Junmyeon calls, moving the rows of coloured squares around until he believes it throughly jumbled up, and it's being passed back to Luhan. Junmyeon can't begin to guess how many times he and Kris will have to do that, but neither mind, as it keeps Luhan entertained.

"Is Jongin asleep?" Kris asks, as he's unable to look back and check as he's finding a parking space in the nearly empty service station, almost glad that Chanyeol had said this as he need to go too.

"Yeah, he is. Oh, I gotta get a picture of this." Junmyeon says, pulling out his phone to take a picture of the youngest boys.

Jongin and Sehun are holding hands whilst they sleep, teeny weeny fingers intertwined. When Kris finally get's parked, he suggests that they do two trips into the station.

"Chanyeol, you come with me. Kyungsoo, Luhan and Jongdae, can you come too?" Kris says, helping Kyungsoo with his seatbelt whilst Junmyeon helps Jongdae. Kris carried Jongin too, feeling guilty at the fact that he has to tear the two little boys away from each other for such a short period of time, but Jongin needed to be changed. Kris takes the bag from Junmyeon that carried nappies and things along those lines.

Luhan holds hands with both Kyungsoo and JOngdae, one on each hand whilst Chanyeol clings onto the strap of Kris' bag. They all follow Kris towards the bathroom. Despite how little cars there seemed to be in the parking area, there were enought people to fill a small school.

"Right, boy, I need to go in with Kyungsoo and Jongin, so I need you three to look after each other and wait for me right here, okay? Do not leave until I do. So go use the bathroom and come back here." Kris says, and Luhan smiles up at Baba.

"I won't let them go Baba." Luhan says, taking Jongdae and Chanyeol into the boys bathroom whilst Kris goes to find a changing room for Jongin.

Luhan doesn't really need to go, but he does anyway because the rest of the journey and not wanting to stop. He holds the door for Jongdae, as the little one can't lock the door, and so Luhan holds his foot underneath it. Once Jongdae and Chanyeol are out, Luhan asks them to wait by the door of his stall, so that he can still see their feet from under the door.

Kris sets Jongin down and tell Kyungsoo to go and use the toilet. Thankfully, the changing station is like a cot, with sides so that Jongin doesn't roll out. He changes Jongin with speed as he's done it enough times already, considering he's had ten kids. Jongin doesn't give a fuss at all, not even when the cold rash cream is spread over his bum gently. Thankfully, Kyungsoo's alright using the toilet on his own.

Luhan and his two brothers are standing exactly where Kris told them to when he exits with a freshly changed Jongin.

"Thank you Luhan." Kris says, ruffling the boys hair until the boy ducks away with laughter.

"Can we go Baba? It's loud." Kyungsoo whimpers, and Kris frowns.

"Come on then." Kris says, a hand on Kyungsoo's shoulder whilst they walk outside.

 

Junmyeon has a little bit more trouble. Not with getting them inside the station, but trying to get Tao into the locked room. Tao seemed to have developped a serious problem when it came to locking doors, mostly bathrooms doors and rooms he wouldn't be able to get out of. He'd just gotten used to the back and front door being locked.

"Tao, I'm in here with you, okay. I need to lock it, and I can unlock it." Junmyeon says, and Tao seems to calm down.

Sehun, for once, doesn't fuss about getting changed, and all the children are ready, which seemed to be quick process. As Junmyeon climbs back in, he smiles at how Kyungsoo's hugging Kris in the driver's seat, blanket wrapped tight around him.

"Was it too loud?" Jongdae whispers, and Kyungsoo nods sadly.

"How about you wear my earphones in the back of the car? You can listen to your playlist again." Kris suggests.

"We can swap." Jongdae says, and the parents look at him.

"Are you sure Jongdae? That's a very grown up decision." Kris says.

"I don't mind!" Jongdae smiles, and Junmyeon helps him get into the back, making sure everyone is strapped in before they leave.

Kyungsoo brings the blanket with him, and curls up, head in Junmyeon's lap and face buried in Appa's stomach, with the seatbelt streached and placed around him so he's not going ot get hurt by it. Junmyeon is given Kris' phone, and he gently puts on some soft music for Kyungsoo through his earphones, who's asleep withing minutes.

And so is everyone else.

When Junmyeon looks back, Tao's got his legs resting over Luhan's lap, no longed shoe covered feet digging into Minseok's thigh, but the two of them are asleep against each other and don't seem to notice. Baekhyun and Yixing are resting against each other too, mirroign the twins but with Chanyeol sleeping upright beside them. Sehun and Jongin are sitll holding hands whilst Jongdae cuddles his dinosuar as he sleeps.

"Go to sleep my love, we shouldn't stop to swap now, it'll just wake them up." Kris says, taking one hand off the wheel to hold Junmyeon's hand where it rests on Kyungsoo's side. Junmyeon smiles at his husband, who's smiling back at him.

"Just wake me if someone wants food."

 

Kris doesn't mind driving at all, it takes his mind off of all things to do with work. He knows they're close when the signs leading to Jeju island start to appear on the side of the road. They do have to take a car ferry, and he'll have to stop to get Minseok, Junmyeon and Yixing to take their sea sickness tablets before they get on, otherwise the short journey could pose a problem for the rest of the day, but they were no where near anyway.

Some part of Kris is liking the silence, but for the most part, he's hating it. Usually, someone's awake and making nosies, be it Yixing or Sehun, but it was always someone. Now, the silence was defeaning, louder than the van itself. But he was glad that the quiet was there, because Kyungsoo did not like loud noises and all those people in the service station were loud.

"You look exhuasted."

Kris almost flinches, looking acorss to find a tired Junmyeon looking back at him. He smiles and Junmyeon reaches across to hold his husbands hand.

"I'm fine, just not enjoying the silence." Kris replies.

"It's definately weird. How long until the ferry?" Junmyeon asks.

"Twenty minutes. I'll park up so you can take those tablets." Kris says, starting to pull into another service station.

"Can you remember when we first went to Jeju and I didn't know I got sea sick." Junmyeon laughs quietly.

"Yes, I can, very vividly considering you threw up on me." Kris giggles.

 

“Right, who wants cheese and onion?” Kris asks, holding the blue packets above his head.

 Luhan’s hand flies up, and so does Yixing. Sehun’s given a packet too, just so he can suck on them and eat them once they’re soggy. Minseok get’s thrown prawn cocktail whilst the other s either have ready salted or roast chicken flavour.

 “Baekhyun ,would you like a chocolate bar? I know you don’t like crisps.” Kris says, and Baekhyun’s face lights up, as he’d found himself frowning and slightly disheartened as everyone got a snack. It was the texture of crisps that Baekhyun sometimes didn’t like. Baekhyun catches the bar with perfect precision.

 “Thank you Baba.” Baekhyun says, sinking his teeth into the caramel chocolate bar, trying not to get it all around his mouth.

 Junmyeon has to get out to get into the back for the giving out of tablets. Minseok takes his with water, whilst Yixing bites his, sticking his tongue out at the disgusting taste, smiling as he passes the boy his drink to wash it away.

 “It’s only an hour away now babies.” Junmyeon says, whilst caressing Jongin’s hair.

 

 

And hour and five minutes later, (Luhan times it), the family are turning up to the house that had been rented out for a week, but they didn’t know that. Kris had struggled to find a place with enough beds, but found this place that was mainly used for school groups, but the owners had been more than happy to let someone rent it out.

”Woah, Baba this place is amazing!” Minseok says, jumping about with Chanyeol, who’s pointing at the massive windows.

 “Are we only staying for the weekend?” Jongdae asks, standing next to the bright pink suitcase.

 “Nope, we’re here for a week.” Junmyeon replies, and absolutely loves the way Yixing whole face lights up with childhood wonder.

 “A whole week?!” He shouts, and Kyungsoo winces.

 “Shh, come one, let’s get unpacked and then we can go on a walk.”

 Luhan and Minseok pull the first suitcase in, both of them using their entire combined strength to pull it. When they find the bedrooms, it’s actually Kyungsoo who’s running back to tell his parents what he’d found.

 “Bunkbeds!” He says, with a heart shaped smile o his lips, tugging at their sleeves to show them. There’s two bedroom, with two bunkbeds in, and one master bedroom which has two cots been put in there for Sehun and Jongin. The garden is large too, a small swing set but no sea view as the large trees were in the way.

 Chanyeol and Baekhyun agree to swap during the week who get’s to sleep at the top, Yixing and Jongdae doing the same.

 Tao has to sleep on the bottom due to his age, and Luhan sets his stuff on the one above him. Minseok goes on top too, whilst Kyungsoo’s more than glad to have the bottom bunk. Kris sets Sehun and Jongin down as both babies are asleep, still having their nap whilst Junmyeon goes into one bedroom to help unpack.

 “Who’s jumper is this?” He asks, having genuinely forgotten in the midst of clothing tucked into one suitcase.

 “It’s mine Appa!” Yixing says, taking it and putting it in the drawer that was assigned to him. Once that was sorted out, and he takes his own clothing into his room, Junmyeon sits on the floor with them to Google some places where they could go during the week there. Baekhyun points to some places he likes the look of, whilst Chanyeol tries to pronounce the place names with horrendous failure, and Junmyeon having to read them out for him.

 “Appa, can we go to the beach? It’s warmer this time, so we can go swimming!” Jongdae says, thinking back to Yixing’s birthday.

 “Baby, it’s still a bit too cold, but I’m sure we can find a swimming pool”.

 

 

Minseok and Kris both have their cameras slung over their necks, Kris teaching what he knows to Minseok as they walk along the costal path. Jongdae and Yixing are at the front, both holding hands with Tao so they younger boy doesn’t fall as he moves his tiny feet around the sticks led on the path. He looks up at Yixing every now and then, Kris getting the perfect picture of it.

 Jongin and Sehun are looking around wildly from their strollers, Kris pushing Sehun and Junmyeon pushing Jongin.

 Kyungsoo’s behind them, holding hands with Junmyeon.

 Luhan’s with Baekhyun and Chanyeol in the middle, Luhan listening to the two of them when they recall facts about various woodland creatures they see.

 As Yixing is at front, he gets to the edge of the forest edge, and see’s a sight.

 “Appa! I found the sea!” He cries, and points towards the view.

 The sea goes on for miles, until it reaches the horizon, which is clearly defined by the deeper blue sky compared to the greyish colour of the water, There’s a few islands dotted in between them and the horizon, and Junmyeon’s pointing out a large ship cruising along way off in the distance. Minseok’s not even looking at it, as he turns back to photograph the trees they’d just walked through.

 “Baba, can you see the boat?” Luhan asks, and Kris finds himself sat on the edge of the path explaining what type of boat that was, and what is was doing and where it was going. Luhan and Jongdae listen intently, but they have to leave, as the sky begins to cloud over and thick blobs of rain water are falling from said clouds.

 

 

It’s late when they eat dinner, and so bedtime comes quicker than expected. Kris is just tall enough to reach they top bunks of the beds, saying goodnight to everyone before getting back into their shared rooms. It’s been an incredibly long time since they’d slept with two cots in the room. It’s been an incredibly long time since they’d slept with two cots in the room, it having to be Luhan and Minseok the first and last time.

 Junmyeon’s already asleep by the time he’s done his teeth and showered quickly, and he shuffles into Junmyeon’s sleepy embrace as the night rolls in.

 

 

Junmyeon wakes up two minutes past one the second Sehun starts to cry. Kris is still fast asleep, and so it’s Appa’s job. He takes the sobbing Sehun into his arms and carries him into the living room.

 “Sehunnie, Appa’s here, it’s okay.” Junmyeon shushes, but he still can’t get Sehun to calm down. He walks laps around the living room, bouncing ever so slightly so Sehun would fall asleep. When Sehun does calm down, he’s still got tears falling from his eyes, as he looks up at Junmyeon.

 It doesn’t take long for Sehun to start crying again, but Junmyeon can tell he’s not hungry or needing a nappy change.

 It’s that Sehun’s not used to sleeping in that certain cot, without his mobile singing sweet lullabies above him. If anything, Sehun’s crying because he’s desperately tired.

 “Oh baby boy, Appa’s here.” Junmyeon whispers, gently rubbing Sehun’s tiny back as he leans down to take the blanket from this sofa they’d bought from home, and wrapping it around Sehun, holding Sehun tight as he calms him. Junmyeon find a pacifier somewhere in the night, and pops it into Sehun’s mouth, who’s curling his arm to rest in between them as he closes his eyes. Junmyeon holds the back of his head as he falls slack in his arms.

 He’s not aware of Kris standing in the doorway of the bedroom, watching his husband as he rocks their youngest baby in his arms.

 “’Myeon.” Kris whispers, and Junmyeon almost flinches. The older one smiles tiredly, walking over to his husband.

 “I didn’t hear you wake up.” Kris says, holding Sehun in between them as well.

 “That’s good.” Junmyeon replies, tiredly kissing his husband with a  grin on his lips.

 “I woke up when I realised you were gone. And so was Sehun.”

 Sehun curls up at the mention of his name, and Kris ever so slightly wipes away the tears on the little boys cheeks. Sehun stays asleep now, and Junmyeon sets him down, before hearing another very tired whine.

 It’s Kyungsoo.

 “Go to bed Myeon, I got it.” Kris says, picking up Kyungsoo, who wraps his arms around Kris’ neck.

 “Hey baby.” Kris whispers.

 “I’m sorry Baba. I heard you and I couldn’t sleep.” Kyungsoo whispers, closing his eyes and leaning back into Kris.

 “Couldn’t sleep? Why not?” Kris whispers.

 “I didn’t bring Tenten.” Kyungsoo sobs, and Kris shushes him, talking about his teddy bear.

 “What if you have Ace?” Kris suggest.

 “Why did you bring  Ace baba?” Kyungsoo asks, now holding the Alpaca that Kris had found.

 “Just in case someone didn’t bring theres.”

 

 And when everyone wakes up in the morning, Kyungsoo is still  holding  A


	24. Holiday Part Two!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for this being so short, and this chapter is sort of a filler whilst I decide what else can happen in the story. 
> 
> Please leave suggestions and ideas!

The next few says were jam packed with activities, going to the beach, having lunch outside and even going on night time walks where they could see the stars. They'd been swimming, shopping, they even when to soft play where Chanyeol manages to get the whole of America brusied on his knee, but nothing dimmed that boys happiness. Literally, the bruise was the shape of America. Most days, either Junmyeon and or Kris ended up carrying someone home whilst Luhan and Minseok pushed a stroller. Today, it was Baekhyun that Kris was carrying.

There was a certain... Emotion... that Kris had towards Baekhyun, ever since the day he found him in the woods. Kris vowed never to let Baekhyun get hurt, along with all of them really, but there was something with Baekhyun. Kris was just so glad he was happy, and that the others loved him too. 

Today, they had gone on a long walk along the coast, and were heading back in the evening light. Luhan and Minseok both pushed Sehun in the stroller, who was asleep. Tao was waddling alongside them, holding onto Minseok's loose shirt. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo's hands were clasped together, both with smiles of their faces as they communicated through looks. Jongdae and yixing both had lollipops, and they were running a little ahead, not out of sight, both being careful of the twigs and stick all across the woodland floor. 

Baekhyun brought his arm up to his chest, squeezing it in between his and Kris' bodies. His little fingers curled around a section of Kris' shirt, and held it tightly. 

Junmyeon was pushing Jongin, quietly talking to Kris about dinner. Luhan suddenly gasps, but doesn't stop walking. 

"What's wrong Lu?" Kris asks. 

"I just remembered what I wanted to say this morning. Baekhyun hasn't been sleeping. He keeps tossing off his blanket and trying to sleep with my hoodie and not a blanket. He got in bed with me last night." He says, and Junmyeon furrows his eyebrows. 

"Could it be his autism? You know, they don't like certain textures." Junmyeon suggest, having had this problem with Yixing in the past, and wonders what else it could be. Kris shrugs lightly, repositioning the little boy in his arms.

"His arms haven't got rashes or anything." Kris notes and Junmyeon hums. 

"I'll ask him." 

 

 

Baekhyun's still asleep by the time they get back, and Junmyeon sets him up on the sofa instead of the best, and it's not even ten minutes before Baekhyun is crying out helplessly, kicking a little. Luhan runs from the living room into the hallway to grab Kris, who follows his eldest in to the room. Kris picks Baekhyun up, but that doesn't help anything, as Baekhyun starts to push him away.

"Luhan, go and get Appa." 

Luhan runs off again, and returns with Junmyeon at his side, who'd just got out of the shower. 

Junmyeon takes Baekhyun, and the boy immediately calms. He presses himself as far as he can into Junmyeon's bare chest. Junmyeon shrugs when he find Yifan's questioning gaze. 

"I don't know..." Junmyeon whispers to his concerned husband, as Yifan picks up Chanyeol, who's been scared for his big brother. Yifan wipes away the boys tears and comforts him. 

From then on, the family are somewhat quiet. Sehun and Jongin sleep without any trouble, and Luhan and Minseok go in at various times to check on them. Yifan agrees to having Baekhyun stay with them tonight, and the next, so that in two days time, the drive home would go alright. Yixing and Kyungsoo are in the garden with Tao, flicking marbles across the tiles, the little glass balls they'd bought down in a day beforehand. 

"I'm gonna put Baekhyun in my blanket, and set him off to bed early. He'll sleep for certain in that. Yixing seems to like it." Junmyeon whispers, whilst Yifan gets everybody ready for bed. Yifan doesn't want to voice the concern that Yixing and Baekhyun are different, and that their autism could show itself in different way. The nights are dark here, and you can see all the stars, but there's no stargazing tonight, as a day on the beach and walking all day has tired them out. 

"Appa, Baba, can I talk to you?" Luhan asks just before he goes to bed, Minseok already gone by the time he asks. Baekhyun is resting in his blanket against Kris' chest now, but he's far to sleepy to understand what's happening, and settles for sleeping on his Baba's chest. Luhan settles between them, careful not to wake Baekhyun, and takes a few deep breaths figuring out what exactly to say. His hands are shaking and little, and Yifan does notice, but he doesn't say anything, just absently running fingers through his sons hair. 

"When did you realise that you liked each other?" Luhan asks quietly. 

"Well, we met whilst Baba was having his tattoo done, and then we found each other a college." Junmyeon says, fondly remembering the day as he was having his own tattoo done, whilst sat next to Yifan, who gladly listened to Junmyeon as he explained the meaning behind his tattoo, then vice versa. 

"No, I mean like... when did you realise you liked boys?" Luhan barely whispered, sinking back into the sofa. Junmyeon knew where this conversation was going. Yifan on the other hand, was clueless. 

"Well, for me, it was after realising that I didn't want to date girls, not that they weren't pretty, but that I'd rather date my male friends more that my female friends." Kris says, and Luhan nods. 

"And for me, it was meeting your Baba. Once we got to know each other, it was like a breakthrough confusion." Appa says. 

"Why do you ask?" Kris says, and Luhan's hands start to fumble, clearly worried as he doesn't tale his eyes off the table. 

"IthinkihaveacrushonTaeyong." Luhan says in one full breath, neither Kris or Junmyeon being able to understand what he'd said. Kris giggles a little. 

"Say it slower Luhan." Junmyeon says, but Luhan shakes his head, starting to get up, but Kris stops him with one arm, the other still holding Baekhyun. 

"Woah, hey. It's okay. Just tell us baby." 

"I think I crush on Taeyong, but I don't know because i fell funny when we're together and I'm worried about him all the time." Luhan says, still really fast and almost wincing at his own words. 

"That's fine Luhan. Do you like him a lot then?" Junmyeon asks, and it doesn't go unnoticed how Luhan sighs in relief, clearly having been nervous to admit this to his parents.

"I do..." He blushes, and Kris can't help but be reminded of his beautiful husband that first day he asked him out. 

"Luhan, why are you worried about him all the time?"

"Because he's always got bruises on him. He's the oldest and his brothers don't have bruises like that. And he always quiet around his Mummy or even talking about her." 

Kris and Junmyeon share a startles glance at one another. 

"Do you think he gets hurt by his mummy." Junmyeon asks gently, petting Luhan's hair. 

"Maybe... he scared of her, he's told me so!" Luhan mumbles, looking up at his Baba with a terrified look in his eyes. 

"What if he's looking after Button because he doesn't want to be at home?" Luhan's clearly starting to panic. 

"We'll be home after tomorrow, baby. I'm sure he'll be alright. Me and Appa will ask him if you like?" Kris whispers, and Luhan's chest heaves with a heavy breath. 

"Yeah, sounds good." 

 

 

Baekhyun sleeps all through the night, hugging Kris arm, snuggles in a thick blanket. He doesn't kick or cry out once throughout the night, which is a grace. Junmyeon still stays awake for most of the night, worried about Taeyong, and what Luhan had said. It reminded him or what Seokjin had said at the birthday party, and how the parents had reacted. He glances across to Kris, who had shuffles over, and now had a protective arm over Baekhyun, fingers twitching to hold the blanket. 

He'd decided, right before actually falling asleep, that they'd go into the woods for a few hours, maybe climb some trees and make a den of sorts. Jongdae and Chanyeol loved that type of thing, especially the climbing part. Thankfully, Kris was tall. 

 

 

Kris wakes up to a whine of discomfort, and he forced his eyes open to check who it was. It turned out to be Baekhyun, who had thrown the blanket off during the night. He gently lifts the boy onto his chest before checking the time. An hour before anyone really woke up, unless Junmyeon was awake early. Baekhyun slips his thumb into his mouth and his eyelashes flutter against Kris' neck, tickling the skin a little. 

In the back of his mind, there's a voice telling him to go home, and check on that child. Luhan seemed so damn worried about him. When a thought crossed his mind, it took him every inch not to grab his phone, as Baekhyun had finally relaxed into his skin. He would call Jonghyun later on, and ask about what he knew. Perhaps Onew knew Taeyong. 

It's actually Junmyeon who wakes up next, rolling over to bury his face into Kris' other shoulder, and suddenly the male is pinned to the bed. 

"Jun, what's the plan?" Kris asks, and gets a groan in reply, before Junmyeon actually pushes himself to get up. 

"The woods maybe? We can climb trees." He says, starting to get dressed before getting Sehun up. Baekhyun sits up on Kris' stomach, rubbing his eyes tiredly.  

"Yeah, sounds good. Morning Baby." Kris replies, greeting Baekhyun too. 

"You're arm was heavy." Baekhyun mumbles, still incredibly tired, and Kris instantly feels bad. 

"You should've woken me up, I would've moved." Kris says, settling Baekhyun down so he can pick up Jongin, who's still fast asleep but needed to be moved. 

"It was nice!" Baekhyun says, startling Kris, "I didn't mind." 

Both parents watch as Baekhyun runs ahead and jumps onto Chanyeol, who barely caught his balance in time, but manages to carry his brother over to the sofa's to throw him down, and start tickling him. By that time, both Sehun and Jongin were wide awake, and hungry. Startling breakfast, Junmyeo leaves Kris to phone Jonghyun, who doesn't ansnwer on the first call, but does on the second, and he thinks something is wrong, which makes Junmyeon laugh from the kitchen. 

Yixing appears in the doorway, and Junmyeon doesn't hesitate to pick up him and sit him on the coutner next to him, so Yixing can talk to him. He starts talking about what Chanyeol was talking about during the night, and it turns out to be really interesting. 

"He was talking about being an astronaut and that he would take us up to space!" Yixing says, throwing his arms out to show a point. Junmyeon smiles, and remembered his childhood obsession with space. Even though Chanyeol and him were not blood related, they seemed to share quite a few obsessions. 

Breakfast wasn't as hard a usual, trying to get everyone to stay awake whilst eating, but once they revealed what they were doing, it was burst of yays and clapping from Sehun who didn't stop for about five minutes. 

 

 

"Kyungsoo, you're going to have to jump!" Kris says confidently, holding his arms out in front of him. 

Only Kyungsoo would get himself stuck in a tree. Junmyeon was nowhere to be seen, and Kris just prayed that he had the rest of the children with him, and that they hadn't just run off. He doubted they'd do that anyway, but no one knew. 

"I can't!" Kyungsoo sobs back, little hands gripping the branches. 

"I will catch you Kyungsoo!" Kris says, and Kyungsoo closes his eyes. 

"Baba, I can't!" 

"Kyungsoo, look at me!" 

Kyungsoo opens his eyes, big brown eyes staring at Kris as he smiles gently. Tears were welling in Kyungsoo's eyes, blearing up his vision. 

"Have I ever lied to you?" Kris asks, watching as Kyungsoo shakes his head. 

"Then I promise I will catch you. You just need to jump." 

And suddenly, his arms are full of Kyungsoo. Little arms make their way around Kris' neck as the little boy sobs. He was terrified, and his heart was pounding against Kris chest and he can feel it. 

"You're such a good boy, such a good boy." Kris whispers, and Kyungsoo manages to calm down after the shock went away. He twists in Baba's arms to look at the tree he jumped from. 

"Was I up there?" He asks, and Kris nods, smiling when Kyungsoo smiles back. 

"How about we go and find Appa. I think he might be setting up lunch." Kris says, carrying Kyungsoo through the woods until he can see Luhan, guessing it was him by the bright pink hair standing out. He watches from afar as Chanyeol and Luhan run around playing tag with one another, the others dipping in and out of the game. 

Minseok was chasing Chanyeol when the younger one tripped over a fallen branch, and Minseok barely manages to catch his arm, and twist so that Chanyeol would fall on top of him and not the floor. How it crossed his mind to do so, no one knows. Minseok's head collides with another brance, and Chanyeol screams from where he watches Minseok's eyes fall shut. Chanyeol's only suffered three or four little cuts along his legs. The poor boy screams until someone's getting him off of Minseok. Chanyeol fights fiercly against Kris, who's holding him away from Minseok.  

 

When Minseok's eyes open, he's led resting on Junmyeon's lap, the others still playing around them except for Chanyeol, who's being calmed down by Kris. 

"Baba?" He whispers and Kris looks over, and smiles. 

"Hey there." 

"What happened?" Minseok whispers, trying to get up, but a firm hand on his chest prevents him from doing so. 

"Stay down Min, you've hurt your head. Chanyeol tripped and you go inbetween him and the floor." Junmyeon replies, helping Minseok sit up so his back was resting against Junmyeon's chest. Kris hands over the water bottle, and Minseok holds Junmyeon's wrists to help him drink. 

"Is Chanyeol okay?" 

"Thanks to you, he's fine, just a few cuts."

"My head feels funny." Minseok whines, and Kris and Junmyeon help him lay down against. 

"That's going to be like that for a while. I think you've got a concussion." Kris replies, holding Minseok's hand tight as Junmyeon calls everyone over to start eating some lunch. Luhan sat straight next to his twin, and helped feed him as did Junmyeon. Once lunch was finished, Yixing and Baekhyun went off to find some big branches that they could make into a large den of sorts. Both of them and now Chanyeol, drag some over as Luhan and Kyungsoo push them into places around the tree. 

Unfortunately, it was only big enough to really fit Baekhyun and perhaps Sehun or Zitao, but no one minds, as Baekhyun giggles like all hell when he sits inside, Minseok taking a photo. Each of them have gained a few scratches or bruises and so they take a little while spreading cream into small arms and legs, Luhan helping his parents do so. 

And so, the drive home was quiet too. For the whole three hours, all of them sleep, Yixing in the front with his Baba and Appa, resting heavily against Baba as Junmyeon drives. The night is dark, and the stars were bright. Thankfully, the roads were quiet and they hit no problems the entire way home. It was only Baekhyun who woke up when they parked for a quick drivers swap, and he bursts into tears, thankfully outside of the car so no one else woke up. 

Once again, it was his blanket. He couldn't put it into words, and just sobbed. 

"Heavy..." He sobs, and Kris cocks his head. 

"Like my arm?" He suggest, "Do you want a tight cuddle?"

So that's how they get home, after strapping Yixing into the back, Junmyeon continues to drive as Kris holds Baekhyun tight to his chest, trying to create some sort of 'heavy' feeling. 

"A weighted blanket?" 

The voice comes out of nowhere, and Junmyeon checks the mirror to find Minseok  awake. 

"What do you mean?" Kris whispers. 

"My friend has one. It's a blanket but with weights in it." 

Kris turns to face Junmyeon, who smiles and looks back into the mirror. 

"A perfect suggestion." 

 

 


End file.
